Melancholy Storm
by Kalsypher
Summary: {Sequel to Freecss Twins} Gon and I are going to Kukuroo Mountain to get Killua back. Once we do, we've got a new adventure in mind. Just when we think we won't have any problems, I'm going to learn the truth about Fox Tail Cove and the tattoo on my shoulder. Great... Killua x OC
1. We're Coming

Kukuroo Mountain.

That's what Illumi had told us. Why he would openly tell us where his family lived, I didn't quite understand. But, I was too angry, anxious, and excited to really comprehend what we had done until the second day on the airship.

Neither Gon nor I had slept since we had woken from our unconscious state and began this fight for Killua.

As I looked out the window, watching the clouds and world pass by.

"You should sleep," Kurapika said as he read his book. "You won't be much use if you pass out when we get there."

I looked at my reflection in the window. Short, badly cut violet-red hair from my rotation fight, cuts and gashes all over me, not including the perfect X on my face, only one of the crosses was stitched together, and my left arm was completely broken.

I turned to look at Gon. His arm was in a sling like mine. He had healed better than I had.

My attention turned back to Kurapika, "A few days without some sleep won't bother us. We're getting Killua back even if we have to do it without any sleep and with our broken arms. They'll have to kill us to stop us."

Gon nodded in agreement.

When the airship finally landed, we had to take a train to the city below Kukuroo Mountain. It was very touristy. I guessed people really did come to see the Zoldyck family. That and it was a very nice place.

The weather was sunny and the forest was thick and green. It was a perfect place.

Even the dark mountain that loomed over it in the distance. Dark clouds covered the summit, hiding whatever secrets that stayed there. That must have been where Killua's house was.

Kurapika and Leorio started asking for information while I just stared at the mountain and Gon stood next to me. I could feel his gaze on me.

"Is something bothering you?" Gon asked.

I shook my head as I stared at the mountain. "It's weird," I told him. "I thought I'd be scared when we got here. We're about to take on a family of assassins that live on that mountain. I don't think that mountain is all we're going to face. But, I think we should buy a camera. It is a tourist attraction. Might as well make the best of it."

He nodded with a grin, "Mito-san would like pictures."

After I bought a camera, Kurapika and Leorio smiled at us.

"They have a tour bus," Leorio said. "C'mon! It's about to leave!"

I got some weird looks when I climbed onto bus. After Gon and I got comfortable in our seat, the odd woman that was going to be our guide started talking. She had pale orange hair and was dressed in a black blazer and black skirt with a small black hat. She looked like she belonged on a plane.

"Ok," she said as she started the tour with a bow. "Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today."

Lamentation Tour? That was cheerful.

"We will be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the Zoldyck family of assassins," she told us.

"Look," Leorio whispered.

I stopped taking pictures as I turned to see what he was talking about. In the back of the bus, there were two people guys. They didn't look like tourists. One was a large guy that hadn't bothered to hide all his weapons. The other was a smaller guy that had his sword propped next to him.

"They obviously aren't tourists," Leorio said.

"Yes," Kurapika agreed.

"Everyone?" The lady of the tour called our attention. "Please look to your right."

I took a picture of the perfect photo shot of the mountain.

"That is Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lives. A forest surrounds the 3,722-meter mountain, and the Zoldyck estate is somewhere on that mountain. But no one has actually ever seen it. The Zoldyck family includes ten members: a great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and then there are five children."

I heard snoring and looked to see Leorio asleep, so I took his picture with a giggle.

"All of them are assassins!" the tour lady said. "Then let us approach the mountain. We will arrive in three hours."

With every passing second, my anxiety and excitement grew.

Killua…we're coming.


	2. Gate of Hades

When the bus stopped we were at a gate. The gate was massive. It was a large seven tiered something with two dragons at the top. Incredible wasn't the word. I took a picture of it and tucked my camera away. There was an old man at the security house and the small door didn't seem right as an entrance for an assassin home.

"That's really something," Leorio said.

"This is the front gate to the Zoldyck estate," the tour lady said. "Also known as the Door to Hades because no one who's entered has ever returned alive."

The name seemed suitable, though the reason was questionable.

"To enter, you must pass through the door beside the security check point. But the area beyond the gate is private property, so we can't proceed," the lady explained.

"Hold on!" Leorio yelled. "This is the front gate? The mountain's all the way over there!"

"Correct," the woman said. "The Zoldycks own Kukuroo Mountain, as well as the surrounding land."

"This whole area is their back yard?" Leorio asked in dully.

"They are famous assassins," I said.

"Hey, guide," Gon said.

"Yes?"

"What do we have to do to get inside?" He asked while pointing at the large wall that separated us from the vast land and mountain.

She just smiled, "Little boy, weren't you listening to my explanation?"

"Uh-huh," Gon said as he looked back at the wall.

"If you go inside, you'll never get out alive!" She yelled. "Assassins live inside."

"It's all a sham," The smaller of the men that had the weapons said.

"A family of assassins that no one's ever seen," the large one stated.

"Just a photo of their faces is worth a hundred million," the smaller said.

"Seriously?!" Leorio exclaimed. "Damn," he snapped his fingers. "I should have taken a picture of Killua!"

"Would anyone have believed you?" I asked.

"It's just another case of rampant rumors masking a mundane truth," the smaller continued.

I watched as the larger man literally ripped the door off the security house and tossed it away as if it were a piece of paper he didn't want to read. With a sigh, I started my way to the security office. This was our only way in, if there was a way in.

He lifted up the security guard with ease. "Open the gate!" He demanded.

"I-I cannot do that," the security guard said. "The master would not be pleased."

"Don't worry," the smaller said. "We're going to kill your master."

The security guard gave a defeated sigh and gave up the key. The large man snatched it from him and tossed the old man to the ground.

I frowned as I helped the old man sit up. "Are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded as he watched the two go in with a displeased look on his face, "Yes, I'm fine." It was his next statement that surprised me. "Man, now Mike's going to end up eating between meals again."

I looked at the old man, confused at what he was talking about, "Mike?"

Then I heard some of the worst screams I could ever hear. Or maybe it was because I wasn't used to hearing screams.

The gate door opened and a large paw came out, dropping the skeletal remains of what had been the two men that walked in. There was absolute chaos behind us as I walked up to the skeletons once the paw disappeared.

That paw alone was as big as me. The beast that it belonged to…I did not want to meet.

"Please," the security guard said, "He's only supposed to eat at assigned times." He rubbed the back of his head then cupped his mouth to yell, "Mike! Don't blame me if you get fat!"

"What was that?" Kurapika asked.

Leorio and Kurapika seemed completely stuck in their place while Gon and I were fine.

"Hey!" The tour lady yelled from the bus. "What are you doing? Get on the bus!"

"You can leave," Gon told her. "We're staying here."

The old man seemed shocked by Gon's explanation and looked at me, "Why are you staying?"

"We're not leaving without Killua," I told him.

He gave me a gentle smile, "So you're young Killua's friends. You must be Costa."

I blinked. He had talked about me?

"He mentioned all of you," the guard said as if he had known the question on my mind. "But he wouldn't talk about you much. Now I see why. You'll be a lovely woman."

I blushed, "Beauty doesn't exist where I'm from. Only strength and blood."


	3. Locked Out

The old man cleaned up the skeletons, sticking them into a trash can and made us some tea. "I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time any friends have come to visit." He sat down with a smile, "Since I work here, I shouldn't say this, but the place is rather lonely. No one ever visits. Though we do see a lot of those," he said, gesturing to the skeletons in the trash, "Well, a family of assassins is pretty unusual. So I suppose it is the price they have to pay. Anyway, I'm glad you're here. Thank you," he bowed.

"Don't mention it," Leorio said, embarrassed.

"However," the old man said seriously, "I cannot let you inside."

"Why not?!" I yelled.

"Didn't you see the large arm of the creature?" The old man asked. "Its name is Mike. It serves as the Zoldyck family watchdog. It only obeys family, and will attack anyone else. The beast still follows the order its master gave it ten years ago. To kill every single intruder." The old man smiled slightly and rubbed his balding head embarrassed, "But technically, he isn't following the order. Because he keeps eating them." He gave a nervous laugh.

"Anyway, I can't let you inside," he said. "I wouldn't want to reduce young Killua's friends to skeletons." He laughed good-naturedly.

"Sir, how is it that you're safe?" Kurapika asked. "You go inside, correct? If you never needed to enter, you wouldn't have a key."

The old man smiled, "Quite perceptive of you. But you're only half right. I require no key to get inside. This key is for intruders."

"A key for intruders?" Leorio asked, not understanding the point.

"For some reason, eighty to ninety percent of intruders attempt to use the front gate," the old man explained. "If I don't open the gate for them, they'll try to break it down. Such troublemakers. So, we added a locked door to one side. The intruders take the key from the helpless guard and then Mike eats them."

"That's it!" Kurapika exclaimed.

I looked at him, not sure what he was talking about.

"As you just realized, I'm not a guard," the old man said. "I merely clean up after Mike."

"And the actual gate isn't actually locked!" Kurapika stated.

I narrowed my eyes, "And we've been wasting time chatting with you, old man. We could be half way to that mountain by now."


	4. True Hunting Beast

"Exactly," the old guard said with a satisfied smirk.

"What?!" Leorio yelled as he turned to look at the gate.

We went to the gate and stared at it.

"All you have to do is push the doors open," the old man said.

I looked at him then the large gate. That would be impossible.

Leorio started rolling his shoulders, getting ready to attempt to open the gate. He slammed his hands hard against the thick sounding doors, but they didn't budge. I could tell he was pushing with all his might then his arms dropped as he panted. He gave another effort by pulling. Nothing worked.

"I've tried pushing and pulling, but it won't budge," Leorio said as he looked at the door. "Are you sure it isn't locked?"

"You just aren't strong enough," the old man said.

"That's absurd!" Leorio yelled. "I've been using all of my strength!"

The guard took off his jacket and shirt, revealing a white wife beater. For an old man, his arms were huge. "Just watch," he told us.

He walked up to the gate, "This gate's official name is the Testing Gate," he informed us. "Anyone who cannot open this gate," he crossed his arms then stretched them out as he flexed his muscles. I could see the veins appearing on his arms.

That was gross.

"Is unqualified to enter the Zoldyck estate," he finished.

With a grunt, he pushed the doors open.

He turned to us with a gentle smile and sweat on his face, "As you just saw, the door closes automatically, so you'll want to run in, the second it opens."

I growled slightly. There went our chance. Straight to hell.

"You don't need to worry about Mike," the old man continued. "He has orders not to attack any who enter through the Testing Gate." He wiped his brow, "Still, this is getting tougher as I age. But they'll fire me if I can't open the gate, so I need to stay in shape. I should mention that each of gate one's doors weighs two tons."

"Two tons?!" Leorio exclaimed.

I glared at my broken arm. There was no way in hell I'd be able to open it until this damn injury healed and my arm got stronger.

"You're not supposed to be able to open that!" Leorio said annoyed with the knowledge. "Wait, what did you say? Gate one?"

"Yes, have a look," the old man said. "There are seven gates. When you go up the gate, the weight doubles."

"Doubles?!" Leorio exclaimed.

"The number of gates that open depends on the amount of strength you use. Incidentally, when young Killua returned, he opened gates one through three."

"Gate three?" Gon and I asked.

"That would be twelve tons!" Gon exclaimed while looking at me.

"Sixteen tons, Gon," Kurapika corrected.

Gon gave a nervous laugh while I just smiled then looked back at the gate.

We had to get through…

Under normal circumstances, we might have been able to, with some training. But these were not normal circumstances. Gon and I were broken and we didn't have any way to train.

"Do you understand now?" the old man asked. "This is what's required just to get in the door. They live in a completely different world."

"Hmm," Gon hummed. "I don't like it." He looked at the guard, "Mister, lend me the key. I came here to see my friend, not to be tested. You can consider me an intruder. So let me borrow the key. I'll use the intruder's door."

"Gon!" Kurapika exclaimed.

"Hey," Leorio said, trying to stop him from being foolish.

I grabbed Gon's fishing rod and cast it to the top of the wall, "Three options old man. Push open the door and let us in, give us the key, or we're climbing."

"Don't be stupid!" Leorio yelled. "Didn't you see that monster? Its arm was bigger than your entire body!

I looked at Leorio, "I saw it and I don't care about it. The only thing stopping us from getting to Killua is this wall."

Gon still stood with his hand out, waiting to get the key, while I waited to climb the wall.

"I won't accept this," Gon yelled. "Why would you test your friends? I'll never enter through that door."

The old man rubbed his head, "You are absolutely right. However, forcing your way through is impossible. Mike will kill you."

"I agree," Kurapika said.

I glared at him, "Who's side are you on?!"

"We have plenty of time," Kurapika said. "Let's figure out a way to enter through gate one."

Again, Gon put his hand out.

"Unfortunately, I cannot lend you this key," the old man said. "I will not feed young Killua's friends to Mike. Well, wait here for a minute."

I pulled the lure back and secured the rod back to Gon's bag. We followed the old man back to the security house where he made a phone call. "Hello? This is Zebro. Four of young Killua's are here to see him. Yes. Yes, I'm sorry. Yes. Yes. Yes, I understand. Yes. I'm very sorry. I apologize for disturbing you."

Zebro, the guard had said his name was, rubbed his head with a sigh, "Yep, I got in trouble."

"You called the mansion?" Gon asked.

"No, I was speaking with the Zoldyck family butler. All communication with the mansion must go through the butler. It's very difficult to reach any of the family members."

Gon and I approached the phone.

"Could you call him again?" Gon asked. "I'll talk to him this time."

"Sure, I guess," Zebro said skeptically. "But you won't enjoy the experience."

I put my ear on the other side of the phone so I could listen to what the butler had to say to Gon.

"Yes, this is the butler's office," someone answered.

"I'm Gon, one of Killua-kun's friends," Gon said. "Is Killua-kun there?"

"Killua-sama has no friends," the butler replied and hung up.

Gon hung up and I pushed him gently to the side, pulling the phone off the hook and started dialing the number I had seen Zebro dial then picked up the phone.

"Yes, this is the butler's office," the butler answered.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW KILLUA DOESN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS?!" I yelled. "I WANT TO SPEAK TO KILLUA NOW! AND IF YOU DON'T FIND A WAY TO PUT KILLUA ON THE PHONE I WILL FIND A WAY TO BLOW UP THIS MOUNTAIN!"

There was a pause, "You must be the one that is claimed to be Costa."

"Yes," I replied.

"Let us pretend that Killua-sama happens to have friends named Gon and Costa. There is no proof you are Costa."

"There is no proof you are a butler of the Zoldyck family either," I shot back. "Whether you like it or not we're coming in."

He chuckled, "If you are the Costa Killua-sama has mentioned, your injuries will only kill you faster."

Gon took the phone from me, "If you put Killua on the phone, he'll recognize us!"

"By your voice?" I heard the butler ask.

I growled as clenched my fists. I hated this guy.

"That isn't a reliable test," the butler said. "'If you put Killua on the phone, he'll recognize us!'"

Gon and I looked at each other, amazed at the recording he had made. He clearly thought this through.

"That was a simple recording," the butler explained. "And there are many other ways to mimic a person's voice. Next, you'll claim that he'd recognize you by sight. There are only a few methods by which you could perfectly mimic someone's appearance. But it still isn't impossible. Additionally, it's possible that someone forced you to approach Killua-sama for sinister purposes. As long as the threat exists, I cannot let you meet with Killua-sama. The Zoldyck family practices the trade of assassination."

I looked at Gon completely deadpanned, "Isn't that a good enough reason to let us see him? It's not like we're dangerous or anything."

"We're not," Leorio said. "You are."

I glared at him, "Yes, I'm very threatening with my dominant arm snapped in half."

"I apologize, but please leave," I heard the butler say before he hung up.

Gon calmly hung up and stormed out. I followed him out, determined to follow him wherever he went.

"Hey!" Leorio called after us.

Gon cast his line over the wall and looked at me, "Are you going to be able to climb right handed?"

"I'm going to find a way," I said.

"Hey! Stop it!" Leorio yelled.

"It's ok," Gon and I said. "You two can wait here."

"We'll go alone," I told them as Gon started his way up the wall.

"I can't let you do that!" Leorio yelled.

"We'll be fine," Gon said.

"No you won't!" Leorio persisted.

"All of you should calm down!" Kurapika told us.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "I am calm."

"I'm perfectly calm!" Leorio insisted. "Come down here, Gon! Costa, stop him!"

"Why would I stop him?" I asked. "I'm going next."

"Don't be stupid!" Kurapika scolded us.

"Gon-kun, Costa-chan, I'll give you the key," Zebro said. "You can go through the door."

I looked at the key as he handed it to me and smiled, "Thanks."

"Hold on, pops!" Leorio yelled. "We can convince them to stop!"

"Really?" Zebro asked. "But they appear to be stubborn children. To make amends, I'll accompany you through the door."

"You don't have to do that," I told him. "You'll get in trouble won't you?"

Gon stopped in his climb.

"It's possible that Mike may recognize me and decide not to attack," Zebro said. "Though I'm almost 100 percent certain that he'll kill us all."

I looked at the key in my hand and closed my hand around it tightly.

This was not the way…

Gon slid back down the line, "You can't do that. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"No, I'm coming with you," Zebro said. "The result will be the same if I stay behind. If I send young Killua's friends to their deaths, I'd never be able to face him again. If you die, I will also die."

I handed Zebro the key, "We'll come back when we can open the first gate."

Gon pulled his line back, "I understand now. We didn't stop to consider your situation."

"Sorry," Gon and I said together.

"You two must like animals," Zebro said.

"Yeah," Gon and I said.

"Just as I thought," Zebro said with a smile. "Did you grow up playing in the countryside?"

I laughed as I rubbed the back of my neck, "I wouldn't call what I did 'playing.'"

"Yep!" Gon said. "How did you know?"

"Gon-kun, Costa-chan, I'm going to open the Testing Gate again," Zebro said. "I want you to see Mike for yourself."

Zebro opened the gate and we followed him in. It really was just a massive forest. I thought it would have been more sinister for an assassin family and that giant arm that throws skeletons out.

"Hey," Leorio said. "Is it really ok for us to come in?"

"Yes," Zebro said. "You'll be safe because you entered through the Testing Gate. Mike!" He called. "Come here!"

And so, we waited. I heard movement coming from the right, so I turned my attention to the shadowy forest right of me.

The large dog was easily five times larger than I was. Its dark eyes were similar to the beasts of my homeland. Bred only for hunting and killing. Yet there was fear in my heart. Gon's fear. Its fur looked like it needed serious brushing and cleaning, though. When it laid down, I could tell how long it was. Easily four times as long as I was tall.

This…was a true hunting beast.

"Gon-kun, Costa-chan, now do you understand?" Zebro asked. "This is a trained hunting dog. It's nothing like the wild animals you're accustomed to. You must have expected to be able to communicate with him. Until you saw his eyes. Mike is currently memorizing the appearances and scents of humans he's never seen. There's nothing else on his mind. He's like a machine. Gon-kun, Costa-chan, could you fight him?"

Gon shook his head furiously, "No, I'm scared. I don't want to fight him."

Zebro looked at me and I crossed my arms over my chest and closed my eyes, "Don't ask me. I'm from Fox Tail Cove. All the animals there have those eyes. To see animals without those eyes is scarier than animals with them."

"Well, how long will you be here?" Zebro asked.

"Until we meet Killua!" Gon and I said. "We won't leave before then!"

Zebro smiled gently, "Then please come this way."

We followed Zebro deeper into the forest. Hopefully, he would take us to Killua…


	5. Threat

I was slightly surprised that Zebro took us to a cabin in the woods.

"Here are the servants' quarters," he told us.

It was a nice cabin. Three floors.

"It's getting late," Zebro said. "So you can stay here tonight."

He pushed open the door and I noticed some scuff marks on the floor. The door was shaking slightly.

"Please come in," Zebro said.

When we stepped in, Zebro yelled, "Hey, I'm back!"

A man walked down the stairs. He had short spiky brown hair with a white band around his head and dark tanned skin. There was a dark mustache on his face and a cigarette sticking out his mouth. He was dressed in a black zipped-up shirt with a brown leather jacket with a white fur collar and khaki pants. "Oh, you rarely bring guests," the man said.

"This is Seaquant," Zebro introduced. "He works here with me."

"Good evening," Gon and I said.

He didn't look too excited about seeing us.

He walked away with his hands in his pockets, "If you managed to win over Zebro, you must be special." He gave a wave, "Well, make yourselves at home. Though it won't be easy here."

Zebro made tea for us again.

"You want to see young Killua?" Seaquant asked as he leaned against the wall and laughed. "That's a riot."

I jumped to my feet, ready to jump the guy, but Gon grabbed my shoulder, "We're guests here. They're helping us see Killua."

I glared at Seaquant who seemed shocked at my reaction. "Fine," I grumbled.

"Sorry, but we're dead serious," Leorio said as he waved at me, "As you can tell."

"Then let me give you a warning," Seaquant said. "Give up, and go home."

"What was that?!" Leorio asked angrily.

"Zebro told you about the Testing Gate, right?" Seaquant asked. "That should give you an idea of what this place is like."

"We understand it won't be easy," Gon said. "But we're not leaving. Not until we see Killua!"

Seaquant raised an eyebrow at him. I could feel Gon's guilt all of a sudden and I knew what was about to come, so I grabbed his hand.

"When Killua was in trouble, we weren't there for him," Gon said.

I stared at the tea in front of me, the guilt taking me as well.

"If we had been there, we could have stopped Killua!" Gon explained. "Killua is our close friend."

Zebro gave a light chuckle and I looked at him. "We understand," he said. "Then why not do some training here?"

"Training?" Gon and I asked.

"Hey, Zebro," Seaquant said, trying to talk the old guard out of the suggestion.

"Listen to me, Gon-kun, Costa-chan," Zebro said. "You four are allowed to work together to open the door. With a little training, it should be possible. How about it?"

"I don't like the idea of being tested," Gon said.

"But if there is no other way," Kurapika stated.

"Then we'll just have to do it!" Leorio exclaimed.

I looked at Zebro, "When do we start?"

"Now," he said as he got up. "You'll need to put these on."

He gave us all vests. I put mine on and just stood still as I tried to figure out how this would affect my arm.

Leorio fell to the ground, catching himself with his arms, "How is this so heavy?" He strained.

"It weighs 50 kilograms," Zebro told us.

That was more than I weighed.

"Please wear it at all times, except while you sleep," Zebro said. "I'll make it heavier as you get used to it."

He directed us to sit at the table then placed cups in front of us, "Please, have some tea."

Leorio and Kurapika tried to pick the cups up with two hands while Gon and I struggle with one. I couldn't get it to move with my weak right arm.

"The cups weigh 20 kilograms," Zebro said. "This teapot is forty kilograms. All furniture and utensils in this house weigh over twenty kilograms apiece."

"I see," Kurapika said. "So this will serve as training."

"It's useless," Seaquant said. "They'll give up in two or three days."

I growled at him as I forced myself to pick up my cup, "We're getting to Killua. I don't care how. Even if I have to push that door open myself, we're getting to him, dammit."

"Seaquant, I believe that your shift has already started," Zebro said.

"Oh, that's right," Seaquant said and walked out.

"Sorry about that," Zebro said.

I nearly dropped the cup, but Zebro took the cup and placed it down on the table.

"He isn't a bad person," Zebro said.

"By the way, where's the bathroom?" Leorio asked as he struggled to stand.

"Through the door over there," Zebro said as he pointed.

"I'm guessing that the door is also…"

Zebro smiled, "Yes, it weighs 500 kilograms."

"500?" Leorio asked in disbelief. "What?! Get out! I can't hold it in!"

After a few days of training, we decided to try the Testing Gate. Gon and I were about to try, when Leorio stopped us.

"You two should just watch," he told us.

"Why?" We asked.

"You need to let your arm heal first," Kurapika stated.

"As long as Kurapika and I can open it, it doesn't matter," Leorio said.

I turned back to the Testing Gate. Even though Gon didn't want to be tested, it did matter to me. I wanted to prove to the Zoldycks that I was worthy to be feared. That I was worth being noticed.

That I could take their son away from them and that because of me he would never return.

They would never forget Costa Freecss.

As Leorio and Kurapika pushed, nothing happened.

"It's impossible," Seaquant said.

"What's wrong?" Gon asked.

"We need to open the gate," I told him.

"I don't like being tested," Gon said.

"We're not opening it to be tested," I told him. "We're opening it to prove a point. They should be afraid. This is their warning. Once we open this gate, there is nothing we can't and won't do to get Killua."

Leorio fell back and Kurapika fell to a knee.

"No use," Kurapika panted. "It won't budge an inch."

"Damn!" Leorio yelled. "But we just started our training. If we work hard enough, we can do it!"

Gon and I looked at our arms. Gon's break wasn't as severe as mine. It would take longer for mine to heal. But…maybe…

"I wish I could share your optimism," Kurapika said.

Every day, Kurapika and Leorio trained harder. Gon and I weren't allowed to do anything because of our arms.

"Gon," I said quietly as we watched them train. "We might be able to get our arms to heal faster."

His eyes widened as he looked at me, "How?"

I gave a slightly disgusted smile, "It's not going to be great and it's going to taste disgusting. But it should help mend the break faster. We used to use it all the time in Fox Tail Cove."

After making the strange concoction of fish oil, honey, milk, and bananas, Gon and I drank down the disgusting smoothie every day for a week then stood out in the sun for a few hours. Sometimes we did pushups, but we would get caught. So we exercised at night.

Every day, we watched Kurapika and Leorio try the gate.

I nudged Gon as I wiggled my fingers in my sling. We could start building up strength in our broken arms again.

"This will never work," Seaquant said. "You kids need to wake up."

"In that case, you should just quit watching us and do your job!" Leorio yelled.

Seaquant scoffed.

"Gon and Costa are one of us," Kurapika said. "And they wish to see their friend. It's only right that we should help them."

"Ok, let's give it another shot!" Leorio yelled.

"Yeah!" Kurapika agreed.

"Man, you can't just mindlessly push," Seaquant said after watching them push for a moment. "Match your timing. You have to push both doors, with all your strength, simultaneously. Or the gate won't ever open."

"Match our timing," Leorio repeated.

"And push both doors with all our strength simultaneously," Kurapika said.

"Ok! One!" Leorio yelled.

"Two!" Kurapika yelled.

"Three!" They yelled together and pushed.

The doors cracked open slightly. Almost instantly, they closed, knocking Leorio and Kurapika back a good bit.

"Leorio! Kurapika!" Gon and I yelled.

The two smirked at us.

"It moved," Leorio said.

That night, Leorio removed the stitches from my face and Gon and I started our own training during the night using both of our arms.

"Whatever that stuff was worked," Gon said. "My arm doesn't feel like it was ever broken."

I smiled, "Miracles of Fox Tail Cove. C'mon, we can catch up."

By the end of the week, we had caught up with Kurapika and Leorio.

It was foggy the morning Gon and I were going to attempt the gate with Leorio and Kurapika. We were both shaking with anticipation, watching as Kurapika and Leorio stretched, getting ready to take on the door.

"Hey, why don't you try removing those vests?" Zebro suggested.

"Oh? Music to my ears!" Leorio said as he took off the vest.

"Without them, we can definitely open the gate now," Leorio said confidently. They placed their hands on the door. "Let's do this Kurapika!"

"Yeah!" Kurapika agreed.

"One…Two…" Leorio started.

"Three!" Kurapika said and they started pushing.

The door had cracked again, but wouldn't open anymore.

"Dammit," Leorio groaned. "It won't move any farther!"

I looked at Gon and nodded. It was time.

We took off our arm slings and our vests and went to the gate.

"One last spurt, Leorio," Kurapika said.

"Got it!" Leorio yelled.

Gon got by Leorio and I got by Kurapika.

"Gon, Costa," Kurapika said. "Why are you using your left arm?"

"We've been using it for a week," I said with a smile. "Fox Tail Cove secret. Now we've got a gate to open!"

"Our arms are healed now," Gon assured them.

"Healed?" Kurapika asked.

"Are you sure?" Leorio asked.

"Yep!" Gon and I said.

"Anyway, we have to push together, right?" Gon asked.

"Right, let's push," Kurapika said.

"Here we go," Leorio said as all of us focused on the gate.

"One!" Kurapika called.

"Two!" Leorio yelled.

"Three!" Gon and I yelled.

All of us pushed…

Slowly the gate gave way to our bonded strength until Gon and I fell through, landing on our faces. "Ow," we groaned.

I looked up and saw that we had in fact opened it.

"It opened," Gon and I said. I looked at Gon who was looking back at the opened gate.

I stood up, looking at the mountain.

We were officially a threat.


	6. Butlers

"Follow the path, and head for the mountain," Zebro told us. "The mansion should be somewhere up there. I'm ashamed to admit that even though I've worked here for twenty years, I've never been up the mountain. Sorry that I couldn't be any help."

"No, that isn't true," Gon said. "You've both been a huge help."

Gon and I both bowed to them with grins on our faces.

"Thank you for everything!" Gon and I yelled as we ran to catch up with Leorio and Kurapika who had already started down the path. "Goodbye!" We waved to Seaquant and Zebro.

We had been walking for at least three hours when we reached our next obstacle. She was probably fifteen and stood around Kurapika's height. The young black girl had short dreadlocked hair and grey eyes. She was dressed in a blue suit with a tailed coat.

"Leave," she told us. "You're trespassing on private property. I cannot allow you to pass without permission."

"We called ahead," Gon said. "And we came through the Testing Gate."

I walked with Gon as he approached the girl. She was going to cause trouble.

"The butlers did not give you permission to enter," she stated.

"What do we need to do to get permission?" Gon and I asked, getting annoyed with this.

"I said we were Killua's friends, but they wouldn't put him on," Gon argued.

"I wouldn't know," she replied bluntly. "Because no one has ever received permission."

"Then we'll have to trespass!" Gon and I yelled angrily.

"I suppose so," she stated. "In any case," she pulled out a rod and used the yellow orb on the end to draw a line in the dirt, "this is where I draw the line. If you take one step beyond this line, I'll remove you by force."

I looked at Gon and he looked at me. I walked ahead. The moment my foot touched the line, her rod slammed me in the face and I flew back. Once I caught my footing, I was well behind Leorio and Kurapika. I spat some blood that had pooled in my mouth to the ground as they stared at me, amazed at what they had seen.

I merely smiled at the two, "This is between her and us. Gon and I know how to handle it."

"We just want to see Killua," Gon told the girl.

"It doesn't matter what your motives are," she said. "I'm simply following my orders," she twirled her rod around, getting ready for more.

Gon took off his backpack and approached her. She nailed him in the face with the rod, throwing him back. I felt the hit and grimaced at the pain. I had forgotten our connection. I was going to have to be careful.

I walked forward and she hit me again. Gon followed.

"You can try all you want," she said. "I'll never let you pass."

"We will pass," Gon and I said weakly. "We're going to see Killua!"

This went on for hours. From the look on this girl's face, we were starting to get to her. Or something was.

By the time the sun was setting, Gon and I had left a long blood trail on the path. I felt like I had been in this situation before. When Hanzo and Gon fought. Only, I wasn't angry at this girl that was hitting Gon. I wasn't really angry at anyone.

I just wanted to see Killua.

"Stop it," the girl said as Gon walked up to her. "Stay away!"

Gon continued and she hit him again.

"Cut it out!" She demanded as I started toward her. "Don't you two realize how futile this is?! Why don't you stop them?! Aren't you their friends?"

Leorio and Kurapika didn't answer as I approached her. "They can't stop us," I told her as she took a slight step back. "Because we're here for Killua. And we will not leave until we see him."

My foot touched the line and she hit me, but it wasn't as hard as it usually was.

"What's the problem?" Gon asked as he walked forward, angry and frustrated. "We're just here to see our friend. We're just here to see Killua! Why do I have to do this?!"

He slammed his fist into the column by the girl. It easily crumbled, but she didn't hit him when he stepped over the line. She had been beaten. But, so had we. If we were put in anymore fights, Gon and I would lose.

"Hey," Gon said. "I crossed the line. Aren't you supposed to hit me?"

The girl looked ready to hit him, but she was shaking so badly, she couldn't. Something in her had broken. The will to keep us separated from Killua anymore. She cared for Killua.

"You're different from Mike," Gon stated. "You may try to hide your feelings, but you have a heart. When I mentioned Killua, your eyes softened for a moment."

She had been completely broken. I walked up and stood next to Gon, both of our faces were beaten and bloody, but Gon had a swollen eye.

The girl started crying, "Please," she said quietly. "Help Killua-sama-"

Some sort of energy slammed into her head, knocking her unconscious. I looked at the hill, getting in front of Gon and pulling out my knives as I glared at the strange woman with a little girl next to her.

The woman was dressed in a very nice dress that looked almost Elizabethan, but her face was wrapped in bandages and she had this strange robotic Cyclops-like eye thing and was holding some…glowing stick thing where I assumed the energy came from. The little girl next to her had short black hair, just above her shoulders and bright pink eyes. She was dressed in a black kimono with a white band around the waist.

"Honestly," the woman said. "What was that servant babbling about? She made it sound like we're being mean to Killua."

"Keeping us away from him is a punishment worse than the torture you're giving him, I assure you," I growled at her.

While Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon checked on her, I kept my eyes on the woman. I was too tired to climb the hill but, she seemed interested in keeping our conversation going.

"A worthless apprentice had the nerve to insult us!" She said. "And we allow you on our property and you insult us as well. You must be Gon and Costa. I heard about you from Illumi. Killua knows you're here." Gon stood next to me as he stared up at the woman. "I have a message for you from Kil," she said.

I clenched my fists at the nickname. Kil. No wonder they named him Killua. A constant reminder of what he was supposed to do.

"'Thank you for coming,'" she said, quoting the message. "'I really appreciate it. But I can't see you right now. Sorry.'"

I glared up at her with tears in my eyes, "Liar!" I yelled. "What are you doing to him?"

Kurapika grabbed me before I attacked the woman. "Costa, calm down."

I pushed Kurapika away and walked on. I didn't have time for this.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself," I heard her say. "I am Killua's mother."

"You don't deserve the title," I hissed as I turned to her.

"This is Kalluto," she said, ignoring my comment.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the little…boy. That was Killua's brother? Woops.

"Why can't Killua come see us?" Gon asked.

"Because he's in solitary confinement," she replied.

"Solitary confinement?" Leorio asked.

"Kil stabbed me and his brother before he ran away from him," she explained.

"That is the story he told us," Kurapika confirmed.

"Kil returned because he regretted his actions," she said. "And he voluntarily entered solitary confinement. So we do not know when he will leave. What? Father! What are you doing?! Don't do anything hasty! He's finally returned!"

I grinned. Killua was free.

The woman was in a state of absolute panic. "Oh, why must Father be this way?" She asked as if we knew the answer. She inhaled sharply then slowly let the breath go. "Something has come up. So I bid you farewell."

She started her venture away.

"Please wait!" Gon called after her.

She actually stopped and looked at Gon.

"We'll be staying in town for a while," Gon said. "Please let Killua know."

"Very well," she said. "I shall tell him. Goodbye."

She hurried off.

Kalluto just stayed behind and stared at us. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Killua's friends," Gon and I responded.

Confusion spread over the boy's face, "Friends…"

"Kalluto-chan!" His mother called. "What are you doing? Come over here!"

"Yes, Mother," he replied and ran off.

"I probably shouldn't say it, but these people creep me out," Leorio voiced. "Gon, we can't go back yet. How about we tail them?"

"Sure, but if we do that, she'll take the blame," he said, looking at the butler girl.

I stared ahead as the woman disappeared in the distance. "She can take us to the butler house. Zebro-san said there was a phone there that connected to the mansion. He said we have to talk to the grandfather, and I don't know what our chances will be, but we might have luck on our side."

I looked at Gon, "How do you feel?"

"I'm alright," he said. "How are you blocking pain out like that?"

I smiled, "Don't worry about that. Let's get Killua back first and we'll work on that after."

"But I don't want you to get hurt more," Gon said.

"I'll be causing the pain," I said. "I'm done playing games."

"I will take you to the butler's office," the girl said as she woke up. She sat up and held her head. "There is a phone that connects to the mansion. If Zeno-sama is the one who answers-"

"Zeno-sama?" Gon asked.

"Killua-sama's grandfather," she clarified.

Gon looked at me and I smiled down at him.

We walked slowly so the girl, Canary she called herself, wouldn't get too dizzy.

"Aren't we there yet?" Leorio asked with an exasperated sigh.

"We still have a while to go," Canary responded.

"How much walking do we have to do? Leorio asked.

"Aren't you glad it's walking and not running behind Satotz-san?" I asked him.

Gon laughed.

Canary stopped walking, looking back at us, "There it is."

I looked up. Another hour and we'd be at a mansion on a hill.

"That building?" Leorio asked. "But it's still pretty far away."

"Say, Canary," Gon said. "Won't you get in trouble for bringing us here?"

"They already know what I'm doing," she said, some guilt in her voice. "So I am prepared for the consequences."

"If there's any trouble, we'll take responsibility," Gon said, gesturing to me.

I nodded. "There's no need for you to get in trouble. Not with my growing record of offending people."

"No," she said. "I'm merely serving as a guide for Killua-sama's friends."

It was after nightfall that we made it to the butler mansion.

"We finally made it!" Leorio said excitedly.

There were five butlers outside, waiting. I stopped short, not liking the site.

The five bowed.

"Welcome," the one in the middle announced.

He stepped forward, approaching me, "Due to recent knowledge, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to enter. The people of Fox Tail Cove are not welcome here."

I growled at him, jumping away, "Touch me and I'll cut your hands off. I'll respect your rules, but don't touch me."

The three looked at me, shocked I wasn't fighting back.

I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff, "Fox Tail Cove is basically an island of killers. We're raised to kill. So, we're natural enemies of the Zoldycks, technically speaking. Gon and I were both born on Whale Island, but separated at birth and I was raised on Fox Tail Cove. So, going into the house would be considered offensive to the family."

"Why did you stay with Zebro and Seaquant?" Kurapika asked.

"They work for the family and don't directly interact with them. The offense isn't as great as it would be if I were to enter the butler home. I'm fine with waiting outside."

I sighed as I walked to a rock and sat down. After a moment, I saw an old man with a tabard that said One Kill Per Day. That was weird. His slicked back white hair and bright blue eyes reminded me of Killua. He had a long white mustache.

"Hello," he greeted dully. "You must be Costa."

I stood up, "Yes. Can I help you?"

"Would you accompany an old man on a walk?"

"Sure, why not," I sighed.

I walked with him. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I didn't care.

"You've got quite a mouth," he said, smirking a bit.

"I know," I said. "I'm not apologizing."

He chuckled, "You come to the home of a family of assassins, demand their prodigy of a son, smart off to the wife of the leader of the house, call her a liar, we find out you're from Fox Tail Cove, and you're not sorry for any of it."

"Why should I be?" I asked.

"I haven't heard the reason why you're here," he said.

I looked at the old man, "Because you love Killua too much. If you don't let him breathe, he's never going to be the assassin you want him to be. You've trained him well enough. He almost killed me."

The old man looked at me, almost surprised. "I find that hard to believe. Silva said he spoke highly of you."

"I tried to stop him from leaving," I said quietly. "I didn't see what happened with his fight with Illumi. I don't think I want to know if he nearly killed me over it. If…Gon would have died."

"The reason I wanted to talk to you is because we're trusting you with Killua," he said.

I looked at the old man, "You want me to keep your prodigy safe? It's not going to happen."

The old man stopped walking, his eyes narrowing dangerously at me, "You're going to protect my grandson."

"On my terms, as my friend," I said just as dangerously. "I don't give a damn about your cause, old man. He can't see the light in this world from living in your shadows. If you really cared about him, you'd let him go."

The old man's eyes turned deadly, much like Killua's murderous look, and I barely blocked the sudden attack. I couldn't count the number of trees I went through, but I did remember the boulder I went through.

I laid still as the old man walked up to me, "You're going to take care of Killua, girl. Or you won't make it next time. Alright, you can take her inside now."

I felt someone pick me up and put me down on something soft. Sometime after, I blacked out from the pain.

When I woke up, I couldn't move.

"Damn," I groaned.

"What happened to you?!" Gon exclaimed as he rushed to my side, concern clearly written all over his face. "You were supposed to wait outside!"

I just closed my eyes as I sighed, "I don't remember."

That was a lie. But it was a secret I would take to my grave.

"I know," Killua said as he walked up to me. "Who was it?"

"I don't get a 'I'm happy to see you'?" I asked.

He laughed as he poked my face, "You look pretty rough."

"Help me up," I said.

The two helped me up and I stretched, wincing slightly.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Couple of hours," Gon said. "Leorio and Kurapika are down stairs."

I didn't care as I hugged Killua. He groaned as he tried to push me away.

"Stop it! This is embarrassing!"

"Gon! Get the camera! We need a picture with everyone!"

Gon grabbed the camera and we got a picture with just the three of us.

It was a strange picture of all three of our faces smashed together. Gon was grinning widely while Killua was glaring at me and I was laughing.

Yep. Good times.


	7. Goodbye

Once we got down the stairs, the butlers gave me a strange look. I still wasn't welcome.

I bowed slightly, "Forgive my intrusion."

The butler with glasses bowed back, "Forgive us."

Killua sighed, "Ok. Anyway, let's go somewhere else. Anywhere else, right now." He had an annoyed look on his face, "If we stay here, my mother will give us an earful!"

"Yeah!" Gon and I agreed.

Kurapika and Leorio gave me a wary look.

"Are you alright?" Leorio asked. "You were unconscious."

I grinned, "Good as new. They took good care of me."

Even if the old man kicked me through the forest and a boulder.

Gon picked up his backpack and one of the butlers handed me mine. "Thank you," I said kindly. I didn't want to leave the impression that all Fox Tail Cove people were enemies.

"Hey, Gotoh!" Killua said. "I don't care what Mother says. Don't follow me."

The butler with glasses bowed, "Understood. Please take care."

For the first time since I had regained consciousness, I got a good look at Killua. His face was as beaten as Gon and mine. He wasn't wearing the blue turtleneck with the white v-neck and shorts I had last seen him in. He was dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans.

"Gon, Costa, let's go," Killua said, ready to leave. "Bye," he told the butlers.

I started to leave when I noticed Gon wasn't coming. I stopped to see what was keeping him. He was talking to Gotoh.

"Gotoh-san," Gon said. "Once Killua leaves, you'll be lonely, huh?"

"No," Gotoh responded.

Curious as to why, I walked up to join the conversation.

"We butlers feel no emotional attachment to our employers," Gotoh explained.

Gon and I both gave a slight glare at him, "You're lying," we told him.

Gon stuck his tongue out at him and we started to walk out.

"Gon-kun," Gotoh called.

We stopped and looked back at him. Gotoh showed a gold coin and flipped it then caught it.

"Well? Which hand?" Gotoh asked.

"Isn't it in your left hand?" Gon asked, pointing at his left hand.

I looked at Gon, "No, it's in his right."

Gotoh smiled slightly and opened his hand.

"What?" Gon asked amazed. "No way!"

"Indeed," Gotoh said. "It was a deception. In this world, there are many things that are wrong. Please be careful. I am entrusting Killua-sama to you."

It was the way he said it that made me realize he meant it differently than Zeno had. He didn't expect Killua to come back.

I smiled and nodded then bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Bye Canary," Gon and I said as we ran out.

"Took you two long enough," Killua said when we caught up.

"Sorry about that," Gon and I said with a laugh.

"Let's make ourselves scarce before more trouble comes," Killua said.

As we walked, I glanced at the boulder I had landed on. Killua and Gon were talking excitedly about everything and anything while I remained quiet.

"Costa, I need to talk to you," Kurapika said.

I looked at him, "About what?"

"What happened to you," he said.

Suddenly, Gon and Killua were quiet.

"Did Mike attack you?" Kurapika asked.

"No, that isn't possible," Killua said. "Mike won't attack anyone that came through the Testing Gate. It was someone from the family."

Everyone looked at Killua then looked at me. I smiled smugly as I turned away from them, "They got mad because I told them I wasn't going to protect you the same way they do. I'm not a babysitter. I'm a friend." I looked back at Killua with a grin, "And friends watch each other's backs. And that's what we're going to do."

When we got to the city, Gon was trying to figure out the coin trick.

"Yeah, he's used that trick on me before," Killua said, referring to Gotoh's trick. His arms were folded behind his head as we walked and Gon was flipping a coin. "Once you know the secret, it's so simple, it'll make you mad."

"Huh? Really?" Gon asked while looking at Killua.

During Gon's moment of distraction, Kurapika took the coin while it was in mid air with a sly smile. "I'm assuming this is what he did."

Kurapika flipped the coin and caught the coin. "Which hand?"

"It's in your left hand, right?" Gon asked.

I sighed, "It's in the right."

"Huh?" Gon asked in disbelief. "How? Hey, how did you do that?"

"Gotoh held two coins," Kurapika explained.

"Huh?" Gon said, clearly confused. "But he only had the one."

"Anyway, he hid a coin in his right hand, while flipping the other." He flipped the coin, "And then he let us see him grab the coin using his left hand. But before he asked us which hand held the coin, he raised both arms, and he slipped the first coin into his sleeve."

Gon awed as he hit his fist on his hand.

"That left the coin in his right coin," Kurapika said.

"You got it," Killua said with a smirk.

Gon was shaking with annoyance, "That really makes me mad."

"Well, I'm fairly certain he only used the trick on the final turn," Killua said, raising a finger. "Gotoh hates cheating, even if it's just a game."

"That's even worse!" Gon strained.

Leorio pushed my nose, "But how did you know?"

I gave a smug smile, "It's a secret."

It was nice to be leaving Dentora.

"So did you do anything else here?" Killua asked.

"No, we're here on a tourist visa," Gon said.

"You're here on a tourist visa?" Killua asked in disbelief.

"Uh-huh," Gon and I said.

"Didn't you two pass the Hunter Exam?" Killua asked, annoyed at the thought. "You could have just used your Hunter License. It lets you stay in other countries for as long as you want."

"That's what we said," Leorio said.

"We already decided," Gon said. "I'm not using the license until I've finished what I need to do."

"And I won't leave Gon," I said.

"What do you have to do?" Killua asked.

Gon started searching through his bag, "The tag that Hisoka gave me!" He showed it to Killua, "I'll return it to Hisoka when I punch him in the face! Until I do that, I won't use my Hunter License. I can't go back to Whale Island, either!"

That was like lightning hitting me. Whale Island. My true home…or at least my birth place.

Killua gave a short nod, "Hmm…So, where's Hisoka?"

Gon and I looked at each other then laughed nervously.

"Thought so," Leorio muttered.

I glared up at him, "Shut it old man!"

"I know where he is, Gon," Kurapika said quietly.

"Huh? Really?" Gon asked.

I slammed my hand over his mouth, "Shut up, idiot. This is personal."

Gon looked at me then looked at Kurapika. It was clear by Kurapika's posture he was struggling with the knowledge he had about the joker.

"How?" Leorio asked Kurapika.

"He told me," Kurapika said, his head turned away and his eyes closed.

"So that's what he said," Leorio said.

My eyes widened. Their fight…

"No," Kurapika stated. "This was after the orientation."

"But, it's still related, right?" Leorio prodded.

I sighed as I looked out the window.

"I suppose so," he seemed like he was getting more comfortable with talking about it. He was facing us, but his eyes weren't opened and he was clenching his fists.

"I've been itching to ask," Leorio admitted. "What did Hisoka say to you?"

Kurapika opened his silver eyes and looked at us, "He told me he had information regarding the Spider."

"The Phantom Troupe?" Leorio repeated, shocked.

"I do not recall mentioning the Phantom Troupe to Hisoka," Kurapika stated. "So either he overheard our conversation during the first stage, or he heard it from another. The spider is the Phantom Troupe's symbol, so those familiar with the organization refer to the Troupe as such. I was interested in his information."

"I see," Leorio said.

"After the orientation, I asked him about it," Kurapika said, closing his eyes once again as though to relive the moment. "He said to meet him in Yorknew City on September 1st."

"September 1st?" Leorio asked.

"Then you've still got over half a year," Gon stated. "What's going to happen in Yorknew City?"

Leorio snapped his fingers in realization, "They'll hold the world's largest auction."

"Correct," Kurapika confirmed. "From September 1st to September 10th, there will be an auction for unusual items, rare goods, and national treasures from around the world. The event attracts all manner of nasty folk who come to satisfy their greed. It's the biggest gathering of money in the world."

"So the Troupe will be there?" Leorio asked.

"They're a group of bandits," Kurapika said. "They would not let this chance escape. So on that day, Hisoka will be somewhere in Yorknew City."

"Ok. September 1st," Gon confirmed. "Got it. Thanks."

When we got to the main city, Kurapika announced his time for departure.

"Then I shall depart now," Kurapika said.

"Huh?" Gon and I whined.

"Why?" I pouted.

"We managed to see Killua again, so I'm finished here," Kurapika said with a smile. "I'll need money to participate in the auction. So I shall search for a patron to employ me as a Hunter."

"Really," Leorio said. "I guess I should go home, then."

I looked up at him, "You're leaving too?"

"I haven't given up my dream of becoming a doctor," Leorio told us. "If I'm accepted to medical school, I can use this to pay the ridiculous fee," he flashed his Hunter License. "I'll have to go back and start cramming."

"Uh-huh, good luck," Gon said.

"Until we meet again," Leorio said.

"Yes, that will be…" Kurapika started.

"September 1st, in Yorknew City," we all said.

I hugged Kurapika and Leorio before they left us.

As we watched the airship take off, I felt a sense of loneliness I hadn't really felt before. They were gone…

"It's just the three of us now," Gon said. "Hey, what do you want to do?"

"You have to ask?" Killua asked him. "We train, obviously."

I looked at Killua. There was somewhere to train?

"Huh?" Gon asked. "Train for what? Shouldn't we have some fun?"

I thought Killua was going to punch his face in the ground.

"Do you remember what you just said?" Killua asked dangerously sweet. "Think you can punch Hisoka in the face without training? YOU COULDN'T LAND A PUNCH IN TEN YEARS, LET ALONE SIX MONTHS!" he yelled angrily. "Ok," he said, "Here, I'll make it easier to understand."

I watched curiously as he drew in the dirt.

"This is Hisoka. This is Hanzo," Killua said.

"Uh-huh," Gon said.

"If this is the gap between Hisoka and Hanzo, in terms of strength, the gap between Hisoka and you," Killua dragged the stick almost all the way to the fence. "Is this far!" Killua was at least 30 yards away. "And I'm being generous!"

I sniggered at Gon's anger.

"Then where are you?" Gon asked him.

"Me?" Killua asked him. He turned and drew a line, "Probably around here."

"Oh, Hanzo is stronger?" Gon asked.

"What is it?" Killua asked.

"You really are amazing!" Gon said.

I laughed at Killua's shock and blush.

"Cut that out!" Killua yelled. "It's embarrassing."

"I don't know how to tell the difference in strength between the opponent and myself," Gon admitted.

"Stupid, it doesn't matter," Killua said. "I'm only estimating."

I yawned then hugged myself, wincing at the pain.

"You probably have a general idea," Killua told him.

Gon looked at me, "What do you think?"

I held my ribs for a moment, trying to fight off the pain, "I forgot what we were talking about."

Killua looked at me, "He got you good, didn't he?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Killua," I said. "You know what you know and I'm not telling you anymore."

"Did you know they were stronger than you?" Gon asked.

"Yeah," I admitted. "But I'm not going to take orders from them. They'll just have to come kill me."

Gon looked at the line, "Where are you on here?"

"Between Hisoka and Hanzo," Killua said.

I picked up the stick and walked to a new spot, "Gon, c'mere."

Gon and Killua stood around me as I drew a decently long line. I put an H, C, and Z next to each other at the top of the line, another H in the middle and a G at the end.

"This represents mindset," I told him. "Who's willing to kill. Hisoka, Killua and I can kill without a second thought and hold no regrets about it. Hanzo showed that he actually cares because he spared you. You don't have our mind set. When you face him, he'll probably be fighting for keeps."


	8. Conversation Between Hearts

After we arrived to Heavens Arena, Gon, Killua, and I got separated pretty quickly. The refs were apprehensive about letting me fight since I was a girl and wanted me to go slower.

Whatever.

I sighed as I walked into Heavens Arena for the fights of the day. I was pissed that Gon and Killua were already over the 100s and I was still at 70.

After five hours of listening to some guy fuss about how terrible my hair looked and how hard it was to cut, it was finally fixed into a normal cut, though I didn't like how short he had cut it. It was definitely boyish looking, but my bangs were cut to the right and the annoying natural spikiness I had in my hair made the short back stick straight out. He said the 'style was in' so whatever.

After a grand total of two fights, I was done for the day and only moved to the 90 floor. Heavens Arena was seriously pissing me off.

I was about to go to try to find Gon to see if they were in the 150s yet, but the elevator opened and I found Gon, Killua, and some brown haired kid with a buzz cut dressed in a white martial arts uniform.

Gon smiled excitedly, "Costa!"

Killua got in my face, "You sure that's Costa? She's actually pretty now."

I glared at his mischievous smile and punched his head to the ground, "How pretty was that, Zoldyck?"

The kid in the elevator came up to my shoulder, which was saying something, considering I was shorter than Killua and Gon. He was shaking in fear as I stepped onto the elevator.

Gon laughed, "Costa, I want you to meet our new friend! This is Zushi. He's going to take us to Wing-san's apartment so we can learn about _Nen_!"

"Glad to see you've almost made it to the 100s," Killua said. "You might catch up with us in a couple of months."

"You are seriously pushing your luck, Killua," I said icily. "I am not in the mood for jokes right now."

"Why? Did you lose?" Gon asked.

"Killua is the first person I have punched in two days," I seethed. "No one's fighting me! I'm not going anywhere because people keep forfeiting!"

I felt tears of frustration running down my cheeks. I was so angry.

Killua laughed, "I'd hate to be your next opponent. You're probably going to kill them."

Zushi gulped, "I'm on 70."

"Costa, calm down!" Gon yelled. "You're hurting yourself!"

I looked at him then felt the pain in my hands when I noticed I had been clenching my fists so hard my palms were bleeding. "Oh," I said quietly. "Are you alright, Gon?"

He smiled and nodded, "I'm fine."

I didn't want to go with them to this Wing's place, but I hadn't spent any time with them. But this Zushi…I could almost smell his fear.

I kept my head low as I walked with them and just stayed quiet. After a while, I just stopped walking. I couldn't handle it.

Killua stopped and looked back at me, "What's up?"

"I'm going to the hotel," I said quietly. "Let me know what happens."

"We haven't seen you in ages," he said. "What's wrong?"

"I can't call a kid that literally fears for his life a friend," I told Killua. "I-I just can't."

Killua smiled at me, "Don't worry. After he gets to know you, he'll be more afraid of your ugly face than your power."

I sighed as I looked at the ground, "Yeah…You're probably right."

I started to walk past him, but he grabbed my shoulder, making me face him, "You know I didn't mean it."

I nodded, "But that doesn't mean it won't be the truth."

He sniggered, "He thinks you're cute, actually."

I rolled my eyes, "Yay. A fan."

"At least you aren't upset anymore," Killua said with a smile. His smile quickly faded as he looked at Zushi. "He's dangerous," Killua said quietly. "This _Nen_…When I fought Zushi he changed his stance and it felt like I was fighting my brother again. It made me back down. There's something he knows we don't. That's why we need to learn it."

I narrowed my eyes at the small boy, "Very well."

Wing's apartment was on the first floor of a large complex. The small place had a giant white board in the corner of the room where a young man with messy black hair and glasses and half his shirt untucked stood waiting for us. He had a kind smile. There were words I didn't understand on the white board. Guess he would explain them to us.

He smiled at me, "Hello, I'm Wing."

"Costa," I said.

"The Fox Tail fighter," he said quietly. "What brings you here?"

"I'm Gon's twin," I told him.

He smiled kindly, "I see. You've had unfortunate luck with your matches lately. If you fight Zushi, I regret to say he will surrender as well. You will understand why tonight."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't trust him.

"Very well," he said as if he were a teacher starting a lesson. "Do I have your attention? 'Nen' means to burn your own soul. In other words, it tests your strength of will."

He wrote Nen on top of a list of words. "And the four major principles are part of a training curriculum for strengthening your will."

"Strengthening your will?" Gon asked.

"Training?" Killua asked.

"That's correct," Wing said.

Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu were written on the board.

"'Ten' means to focus your soul to a single point, to increase your awareness of your ego and goals. 'Zetsu' means to express yourself in words. 'Ren' means to temper that will. And 'Hatsu' means to act upon that will."

"'Ten'. 'Zetsu'. 'Ren'. 'Hatsu'," Gon read off as Wing pointed at them. "Those are the four major principles."

"Killua-kun, Zushi tempered his 'refusal to lose,' during his fight with you," Wing explained. "So, allow me to demonstrate. Killua-kun, I think I'm going to kill you now."

I growled as I shifted my foot, ready to get in front of Killua, if need be.

"Are you ready?" Wing asked.

Killua smiled at me, "Relax. Nothing's going to happen."

"Then I'll take it step-by-step," Wing said with a smile.

"First comes 'Ten'," he said. He bent his knees and crossed his arms while balling his fists while keeping his back incredibly straight and his eyes closed. "I focus my soul into a single point."

He opened his eyes, "'Zetsu'. You can express yourself mentally or verbally." He closed his eyes, "I will kill you."

My shoulder started to tingle as a purple aura showed around Wing.

He shot the aura throughout the room, focusing it on us, primarily Killua. My shoulder began to burn more than anything I had ever felt and I had lost control over my body.

"Costa! Stop!" Gon yelled.

I had my knife against Wing's throat, a few drops of blood starting to drip down. I panted as I slowly pulled the knife away from his neck and calmly walked back to where I was standing. "T-That was 'Ren'," Wing stuttered.

I looked at Killua who was up in the corner of the room near the ceiling, trying to get as far away as possible.

"If I temper my will enough, then I can act. 'Hatsu'," Wing explained slowly, his attention leaving me and going to Killua. "If your will is strong enough, you can make your opponent back down without moving a muscle. The concept of bluffing derives from this."

I heard Killua drop from the ceiling, but I didn't look at him. My attention was on the blade in my hand.

"'Ren' hardens that which is soft," Wing explained. "And you lose the ability to correct an incorrect idea. Therefore, you should avoid using 'Ren' until your soul has fully matured. Right now, the three of you and Zushi should be training your souls."

"Let's go," Killua said.

I watched Killua leave and Gon run out after him. My attention turned back to Wing as he touched his neck, checking the wound on his neck. "I don't know what you did to me, but understand this. Do it again, and I will not spare your life."

"That is what 'Nen' does to the fighters of Fox Tail Cove," Wing said. "While others run away, you viciously attack." He smiled, "I could have stopped you if I wished."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I've never lost. I won't lose to you and your magic tricks."

I walked out of his apartment where I found Gon and Killua waiting for me. Concern was in both of their eyes.

"Are you alright?" Gon asked.

"He knew I was going to try to kill him," I said. "I don't think he knew I had knives on me, but he did know I was going to attack him. If he tries it again, I don't really care if you tell me to stop. I'm killing him."

Gon hugged me making me tense up. "Costa, I know you're angry, but you need to let it go. You'll get some good fights soon, ok?"

I sighed knowing he wasn't going to let me go until I returned his hug. I wrapped my arms around my brother and smiled slightly until my shoulder began to sting some. Ignoring it best I could, we started our journey to Heavens Arena.

"He lied to us," Killua stated.

"He was lying to us?" Gon asked.

"Yeah," Killua said. "The explanation made perfect sense, and Wing is clearly very strong. But his story had holes."

Gon and I gave him a confused look. Of course I didn't know anything but what I had heard that night anyway.

"Zushi's toughness," Killua said. "He kept getting up after I knocked him down. I was getting irritated, so I used all of my strength during my last attack."

It clearly hadn't killed the kid.

"Willpower didn't keep him standing," Killua said. "He's hiding some other secret."

"Well, I can't learn it," I told them. "He said the people of Fox Tail try to kill people that use 'Nen'. Don't know why. He wouldn't say."

Gon frowned, "Maybe we shouldn't learn it, then."

"We have to," Killua said. "I need to know how he kept getting back up."

"Just don't use it around me," I said.

"Hey Costa, where have you been staying?" Gon said. "Zushi said he was on 70. Where are you?"

"70," I grumbled. "I'm in a hotel."

Gon frowned, "Why don't you stay with me? We're in the 150s."

I sighed. Gon wouldn't lay off until I agreed. "Fine," I said.

When we got to Gon's room, I tossed my bag to the floor and sat on Gon's bed. I just needed a good fight.

"Hey Costa," Killua said, smirking at me.

I gave him a blank look then got a pillow slammed in my face. I stared at him, my mouth slightly open in shock at what he had done. I could hear the shower running, so Gon must have been in there.

I tackled Killua, "You're mine, Killua!" I yelled.

When I found his tickle spots, I showed him no mercy. He was trying so hard to fight me off, but I fought back.

"G-Gon!" Killua gasped through his laughter. "Help me!"

Before I could blink, I was under Killua with my arms pinned. Gon was grinning at me while Killua pushed up his sleeve with a wicked look ready for serious torture. I squirmed trying to get him off and trying to get my arms free, but Gon was strong when he wanted to be.

Killua was merciless as I squealed and laughed while he tickled me until tears started rolling from my eyes.

"Beg!" Killua yelled.

"N-N-Never!" I managed to get out through my laughs.

I finally managed to get my arms free and flipped to where I had Killua's arms pinned above his head. I had my face just above his as I grinned wickedly.

"Pay back," I whispered while staring into his beautiful blue eyes. I looked at Gon, "For betraying me!"

I jumped on him and started tickling him while Killua helped hold him down, laughing at Gon while he struggled and laughed.

"Enough, enough!" Gon begged when he couldn't breathe.

I stood up and smiled at him. The two had victorious smiles on their faces making mine disappear. "What?" I asked them.

"Your fights have been playing on every floor," Gon said.

"They don't do that for just anyone," Killua said. "With all the forfeits you've been getting, they've been asking people from higher floors to go down and fight you. Anyone that loses, you'll automatically take their spot on that floor."

I scoffed, "Great. I'll be in the 100s."

"Someone in the 190s accepted it," Gon said. "Our fight in the 190s is tomorrow. If you beat him, it'll be one more fight then you'll be in the 200s with us."

My eyes narrowed. "I doubt that will happen. He's not just going to challenge me and accept the fact he's on the 70 floor again."

"That's what the arrangement is," Gon said as he turned the TV on.

"-take on this frightening girl in our arena? The devil herself has come to Heavens Arena! That's right everyone! A fighter from Fox Tail Cove has decided to fight at Heavens Arena and so far she is stuck on the 70 floor! For two days, she's had nothing but forfeits! No one is willing to fight her, leaving her permanently on the floor. Will anyone challenge this frightening fighter or will someone from a higher floor be willing to risk it all and take her on?"

Then it flashed my picture with some guy with a black mask over his eyes and a cape. He was shirtless but was wearing flowing black pants and boots.

"That's who I'm fighting?" I asked in disbelief. "That's disappointing."

"I saw him fight," Killua said. "You shouldn't have a problem."

"So is he coming down or am I going up?"

"You're going up," Gon said with a grin. "You'll have a big crowd watching you."

I yawned as I stretched, "Well, I better get back to my hotel. They'll be pretty excited to know they don't have to clean up after me anymore."

"What about staying with me?" Gon asked.

"I'll check out tomorrow," I said. "Might as well finish my stay."

Gon smiled and hugged me, "Night Costa."

I gave a wave to Killua, but Gon stopped me. "Why aren't you giving Killua a hug?"

Killua blushed, "Stop that! It's embarrassing!"

"Because we embarrass him," I told Gon.

"Give him a hug," Gon said as he stood in front of the door. "You're not leaving until you do."

"Gon..." Killua said quietly.

I turned around to look at Killua, but he was walking up to me, the expression on his face extremely serious.

"Stand still," Killua directed and moved behind me. "Have you ever thought that your tattoo wasn't actually a tattoo?"

I reached over my shoulder, gently touching the area. Pain shot through me and I left it alone.

"We should go back to Wing-san," Gon said, worry lacing his words.

"Don't worry about me, Gon," I said with a smile. "I can handle whatever it is." I stifled a yawn and waved, "Night."

I grabbed my bag from the wall and left the room to get back on the elevator. I raised an eyebrow when Killua joined me.

"I know you're going back," Killua said.

"Then you'll understand I've got to do this alone," I said. "There's only so much I can protect Gon from. If it hurts as much as it did before, I'm going to lose focus and Gon will feel it. You're not coming either."

"I've seen worse," Killua said. "I've done worse."

"It doesn't matter what you've seen or done. We don't know what this thing does or what it's going to do. I'll let you know what I find out tomorrow."

I was surprised when Killua awkwardly hugged me, keeping some distance between us. I carefully wrapped my arms around him and felt him tense up for a while. He started to relax and stepped closer to me, letting his arms tighten around me.

"It's not so bad," he said quietly.

I smiled lightly, "A guy at a port told me hugs were conversations between hearts. Only when they parted would they know what the conversations were about."

"A conversation," Killua said thoughtfully. "That makes me not want to let go. I don't want to know what my heart has to say."

I laughed slightly, "Remember who its talking to. That should give you some peace of mind."

Slowly, Killua's arms loosened around me and he stepped back, a melancholy storm in his blue eyes. "Nothing," he said quietly.

I smiled as I put my hand on his chest, "Give it some time, Killua. It wasn't so bad, so something happened to make you feel better."

The elevator opened and I gently held his hand, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles, "Goodnight."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

I stepped into the elevator and pushed the ground level. I hated going from 150 to 1 in one ride. It was obnoxious. But Wing needed to be visited. He knew something about my own people I didn't. It made me vulnerable.

That was not acceptable.


	9. Gladiators Death

I didn't bother knocking when I got to Wing's apartment. He didn't seem surprised that I just walked in. He was lucky I didn't have my knives in my hands or I would have killed his cocky ass. Zushi stood silently as he stared fearfully at me. Wing was reading a book.

"I'm surprised you came alone," Wing said.

I didn't reply as he flipped the page in his book. This distance was enough for me. Something was wrong with this picture, but I did not regret coming alone. Gon would not be harmed this way.

"You want to know what happened," Wing said knowingly. "Why they ran and you attacked. You must be strong if you haven't passed out from the pain that mark on your back is supposed to be giving you. According to Zushi, Gon and Killua won't talk much about what you've done. You're not proud to be from Fox Tail Cove."

I narrowed my eyes, still remaining silent. The pain wasn't that bad. It hurt when I touched it, but that was it.

"Tell me, how many people have you killed?" Wing asked, looking up from his book.

"Nine, at least," I said.

His eyes widened slightly, "You're not experiencing hardly any pain are you?" He sighed, "To be so young and be so dark. No wonder you attacked me so violently. You were trained to kill."

"We all are," I said.

"No," Wing said. "You weren't supposed to leave Fox Tail Cove until you were 17 and capable of fighting in a rotation for a reason. There are three types of tattoos in Fox Tail Cove. One is orange. They are the Saccularius or Thieves. They live closer to the beaches and you don't see them as often because they are sent out at young ages, such as 12 to start their trade. There are others that are green. They stand for Flaminis, or Shamins. They are healers. They stay on the island and take care of the Gladius and Saccularius. Yours is black. That stands for Gladius, or Gladiators Death. As the title sounds, they are warriors that fight to the death, for the death."

"Why don't I know this?" I asked.

"If you had waited until you were 17, you would have learned," he told me. "How long did it take you to kill those 10 people?"

"I killed six in the Hunter Exam," I said. "The other four were cheaters in Death Matches, I think. They deserved to die."

"Gladius members are not meant to feel _Nen_," Wing said. "The tattoo on your shoulder was made from _Nen_. It was going to react when I used my 'Nen', but I would not have used it if I had known you were a Gladius. Now it's perfectly clear why Zushi is so afraid of you. Why everyone is. None of them want to die."

My eyes narrowed at him, "That only proves that their cowards. If I really wanted to kill someone, I would have already. I haven't even tried here. And I've been fighting with broken ribs."

I leaned against the wall, "I don't know what game you're trying to play with us, but we'll get to the bottom of this 'Nen' thing. Especially since I'm jumping from the 70 to 190 tomorrow."

Wing smiled, "The match has sold out. Everyone is very excited about the Fox Tail Legends fighting each other."

I pushed myself off the wall and walked out to go back to my room. How did other Fox Tails always manage to find me? Well, it wasn't exactly hush-hush news I was at Heavens Arena. Not with all the forfeits I had been having.

When I got to my hotel room, I fell onto my bed and sighed. Tomorrow…was going to be interesting.

… … … …

I got to see Gon and Killua's matches before I had my fight. They flawlessly made it to the 200s. With a sigh, I walked into the arena on the 198 floor. Wing hadn't been kidding when he said the place had sold out. Just looking around, I couldn't see an empty seat. I saw Gon waving wildly in the crowd with Killua smiling next to him. I gave the two a small smile and a slight wave.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's the fight you've been waiting for! The fight between the two hell devils that the earth can place in Heavens Arena! You heard me right! Two fighters from Fox Tail Cove have come to fight in Heavens Arena for a spot in the 200s. Coming from the 70s because no one was willing to fight her, we have Costa Freecss! And her opponent, the undefeated Dovev Hikaru!"

The masked man smiled charmingly at me, "My dear, I'm afraid you should surrender right now. You see, I was raised as a Gladius. You cannot defeat me."

"You're wasting my time with your small talk," I stated bluntly.

He glared at me and attacked me. I blocked his attack with one arm causing me to fall to my knee at the force and slide back. He went for another punch but I blocked it as well, then he turned and quickly tried to kick me while I was on the ground, but I used the foot I was supporting myself on to jump back.

"I underestimated you," he said darkly. "You are no ordinary child. Tell me, what is your rank?"

My eyes narrowed. Ranking? I had no idea what a ranking was.

He suddenly chuckled, "That's right. You wouldn't know. You didn't finish your training. How many people have you killed? By the time I was your age, I had killed three."

"Is three normal?" I asked him.

"It's high, actually," he said as if he were impressed with himself. "I bet you haven't even been in a Death Match yet."

"I've killed four people for cheating in Death Matches," I replied icily. "I've been in a rotation already. But overall, I've killed at least nine people."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "That's impossible. Actually obtaining a rank at a young age. A Lactera…"

I growled at him, "Stop wasting my time!"

I attacked. I usually didn't attack first, but he was annoying me. He barely managed to block my fist before it collided with his face, but he flew out of the ring, sliding a bit. The ref called a point for me and Devov jumped back onto the stage.

I felt a surge of excitement flow through me.

Gon…

I laughed a bit when Devov started attacking me. I blocked his attacks and kicked his feet out from under him then slammed my fist into his face.

Or thought I did.

A punch to the side of my face caused me to slide some, but I gained my footing and jumped back at Devov.

I couldn't hear anything but my punches landing on Devov and his landing on me. All I could see was Devov. Defeating him was all that mattered.

His fist came at me, slamming into my already broken ribs and I slid back, but jumped high enough to blind him with the stadium lights until I came back down and punched him in the chest. His sternum shattered under the force.

He coughed up blood from the attack and stayed down from the ten count.

I stood over him, showing him no sympathy. There was none to be given towards other residents of Fox Tail Cove. It was a sign of weakness.

"You didn't ask a very crucial question," I told him.

"What's that?" He asked weakly.

"Who my mother is."

He just looked at me, his consciousness fading in and out.

"Fin," I told him.

"I…wouldn't have challenged you…" he was out.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked off the arena. Looking back, I could see the blood all over the arena. I probably looked like hell. I felt like it. Especially with the new pain in my chest.

I continued walking until I was out of the arena and back in the main area where Gon and Killua were waiting for me with smiles on their faces. Gon looked like he was about to explode with excitement.

"That was the best fight I've ever seen!" Gon yelled.

"How many fights have you seen?" I asked him while sitting down on a bench to try and take some pressure off my ribs. God, that sucks.

Gon laughed sheepishly.

"Something wrong?" Killua asked.

"My ribs weren't exactly healed," I said. "I'll be alright. Just need to lower my ego and let them heal."

"You took that fight without your ribs being completely healed?!" Killua yelled. "What were you thinking?!"

"That I'd still be in the 70s if I didn't take it," I sighed as I managed to get back up. "I'm gonna go get my ribs checked out and then I'm checking into the 200 floor."

"You want us to go with you?" Gon asked.

"She can't get her ribs looked at with her shirt on," Killua said bluntly.

Gon laughed sheepishly, "Right. Sorry."

"What were you talking about down there?" Killua asked. "Gon tried to tell me, but it didn't make much sense."

I winced when I sighed. "It wouldn't make sense unless I told you everything."

I explained everything I knew about Fox Tail Cove's people, then what Wing told me, then what Devov told me.

"So, you have a Lactera ranking in the Gladius marked people?" Killua asked.

"That's what I got from it." I confirmed.

Gon groaned as he held his head. "I don't know how you got that."

I didn't laugh, though I wanted to. "It's alright, Gon. It is hard to follow."

"Wonder what rank you'll have after Lactera," Killua said.

"I don't care," I said quietly. "I just want the mark gone. But…now that it won't go away…I don't know what to do."

"We're going to go ahead and get the rooms," Killua said. "We'll see you up there."

I nodded and made my way to the infirmary of Heavens Arena. After getting my ribs X-rayed and told they weren't broken, only bruised, I happily walked out of the infirmary only to find Wing waiting with Gon and Killua.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What now?"

"Since you've made it to the 200s, it's time for you to know the truth. If you will come with me," Wing said.

"We went to the 200 floor and found Hisoka there," Gon told me. "The _Nen_ he can use…"

"Would have turned you into a ravenous murderer," Wing said. "You would not have just tried to kill Hisoka, you would have killed Gon and Killua as well. That is why you must learn it."

"He thinks we shouldn't register until we learn it," Gon said.

"What about me?" I asked. "I'm not them."

"I lied about your tattoo," Wing said. "It's called _Nen_ String. It gets sewn into your skin and gives you whatever you need to accomplish whatever they want you to do. They wanted you to become a fighter. And you did. Removing the string will be very painful and will take a lot of concentration from both of us, but it can be done. Unfortunately, you will be in a state of exhaustion for a long time. You cannot take any fights on the 200s until you get your strength back. And it may affect your current strength in fighting. But in the end, you will become stronger."

When we got to Wing's apartment, he showed us what _Nen_ truly was by throwing flowers through a vase.

"Simply put, this is _Nen_," he said. "_Nen_ refers to the ability to manipulate your aura, also known as life energy. Every person possesses a small amount of life energy. But in most cases, it's simply discharged." He started writing on the board as he explained, "The ability to build up a shroud of life energy is known as _Ten_. You can make your body harder, and considerably slow the effects of aging. Then comes _Zetsu_. As you may guess, this nullifies your aura. It is effective for concealing your presence, and recovering from extreme fatigue. Which brings us to _Ren_. A technique to create an especially strong aura." He stepped in front of us and I felt a pressure against me that made me step forward, but not attack. "Can you feel that?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can feel the pressure," Killua said.

"But it doesn't feel dangerous," Gon said.

"That's because I have no hostile intent," Wing said. "Which brings us to why you aren't attacking. You want to, but you have the clear mind not to. When the _Nen_ is hostile, you do not have the clear mind to attack. You simply act on instinct. A Saccularius would run away in the presence of hostile _Nen_. A Flaminis would drink their own poison than stay in the presence of the _Nen_ because they are not trained to run from danger or to fight it."

I nodded, understanding what he meant.

"Aura is an energy that comes from within humans," Wing continued. "Which makes it very effective against other humans. For better or worse. If you attack a helpless person, with ill intent, you can use aura to kill." He started to walk away from the board, "Only one thing can protect you from someone who uses _Nen_. You must also learn to use _Nen_. You must use _Ten_ for defense. Block the other person's aura with your own. Otherwise," he placed his hand on the wall.

Gon and Killua grabbed me when his aura started to show. With simple force of his aura, he had put a crater in his wall. Shakily, the two let me go.

He turned back to us, "Your body will be crushed."


	10. Can't Let Go

"_Nen_ is a power that dwells within every person," Wing explained. "However, at the present moment, only a few are capable of using it. Thus, they are treated as geniuses, leaders, psychics, mystics, or superhumans."

"A power that dwells within everyone," Gon said.

"Yes. This power, however, is dangerous for the people of Fox Tail Cove. Costa's _Nen_ will feel incredibly hostile until she masters the four basic principles of _Nen_. There are two means by which to awaken this power. The deliberate way and the aggressive way. Zushi underwent the deliberate method. He was a quick learner, and he trained hard. So he was able to master Ten in a very short time. In about six months."

"That's too long!" Killua exclaimed. "We need to learn _Ten_, and pass Hisoka's _Nen_ barrier before midnight!"

"Then you'll have to try the aggressive method," Wing said. He looked at me, "That will be incredibly painful for you."

"Will it be fast enough?" Killua asked.

"That will depend on you," Wing said. "I don't know if Costa will be able to register before midnight. But, can you learn to hold your aura within your body, before time runs out? That is the key." He outstretched his hand toward us, "I will now direct my aura toward you. This is known as _Hatsu_, which I demonstrated to you earlier. Naturally, I will restrain myself since my objective is not to destroy your bodies. However, this way is still perilous. In other words, I will attempt to shock you into awakening. I will give your sleeping body a jolt, so you can learn _Ten_ more easily. I say that your body sleeps because your body's openings, or micropyles, are closed, meaning that your aura flow is stunted. Therefore, I will send my aura into your bodies to open your micropyles. Under normal circumstances, you would spend a long time meditating and discovering your own auras, while slowly opening those apertures. Even Zushi, a natural talent, required three months. However, you two could do it in a week. Or sooner."

"Just us?" Gon asked as he pointed to Killua.

Wing nodded.

"How long would it take Costa?" Killua asked.

"Hers could possibly be opened already," he said. "The _Nen_ String that was sewn into her shoulder controls her _Nen_. We won't know until it is removed. But if she were a normal person, it would take her a week as well."

"Her and Gon have a weird connection," Killua said. "They can feel each other's pain and feelings when they're in the same room. Is this going to do anything to her if you open Gon's first?"

"Yes," Wing said. "It will cause her excruciating pain no matter how far away she is. Which is why I find it unfortunate that we have such little time to work with."

"I don't really get it," Killua said as he folded his arms behind his head. "But quick and dirty is always better."

I glanced at him. I would have agreed, but that was because when I made things last longer, they ended up begging for death.

"This is a shady, highly frowned upon method," Wing told us. "You will be ignoring the correct procedure. You could even die if the person using this method were weak or evil."

"But you aren't weak, and you aren't evil," Gon said. "Right?"

I smiled slightly. Only Gon.

Wing sighed. He was done trying to convince us otherwise.

"That's why I want to know why would you suddenly decide to teach us the true four major principles?" Killua asked.

"If Costa had gone with you to the 200 floor, you would not be standing here now," Wing said solemnly. "And because I did not want to squander this opportunity. If you were to challenge the 200s with none of this knowledge, you would suffer greatly. Costa would be able to survive, but her brutal slaughters would get her into a lot of trouble. Up there, everyone knows how to manipulate _Nen_. And they have a special greeting for any newcomer ignorant of _Nen_, a _Nen_ attack. In other words, they do what I'm about to, but without restraint. They don't care, even if people die. Only those who survive are allowed to pass. They are the chosen. However, they pay a steep price. That's why I wanted you to be prepared."

He outstretched his hand toward us, "Now, despite my attempts to scare you, I have confidence that this will awaken your power! You have the potential. As well as the ability. Put your belongings down, take off your shirt, and turn your backs towards me. I'll start with Gon and Killua first."

The two did as they were told and I could feel how nervous and excited Gon was. I chuckled as I leaned against the couch with my arms crossed over my chest. The tingling on my shoulder wasn't too bad yet. Then it started to feel like bugs under my skin. Sort of like when a part of the body falls asleep.

"I'll begin," Wing said.

His aura grew stronger and the bugs seemed to take over my body then turn into fire until it felt like electricity was shooting through me. I suddenly became cold. Then it felt like needles were pricking my skin.

For pain, it wasn't so bad. Until it felt like something in my body was moving. Stretching. Pulling at what felt like every nerve, vein, and muscle fiber in my body, forcing them to extend. Like some sort of strange torture method, they began to retract.

I slowly opened my eyes. Gon was holding my hand, concern covering his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I said. "What…what happened?"

"You blacked out when our aura was opened. Your aura opened as well," Killua explained.

I looked at Wing. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Your aura was ready to open which is why it opened with Gon's," Wing explained. "I'm afraid I won't be able to remove the _Nen_ String in your shoulder until you've mastered the four basic principles. It will be less painful by then, but whenever I do remove it, you will have to wear something else to keep your _Nen_ in check."

"In check?" The three of us asked.

"You will have no control over your _Nen_," Wing said dismally. "I'm afraid I'm not qualified to teach you how to control it. Now that you have started this, you have to finish it, Costa. You will die if you don't. How you mastered _Ten_ while you were unconscious…"

I smiled, "Some things aren't meant to be understood. Thanks Wing. We got a free room to get to!"

I ran out and headed back to Heavens Arena, Gon and Killua running after me.

"Costa, I don't think you understand what happened," Killua said.

I looked at him, "What are you talking about? I'm going to be in pain for the next forever and I'm living on the 200 floor. I'm just happy I'm not living in that hotel anymore."

"You look good with black hair," Gon said as he smiled. "We really look like twins now."

"Gon!" Killua scolded.

I almost stopped walking, but we needed to get back to Heavens Arena. I'd see my reflection in the elevator.

When we stepped into the elevator, I rocked on my feet, waiting to get to the 100s so we could get to the elevator that took us to the 200s. I stared at the blurry figure on the golden doors. She favored me in every way, but her hair was black.

"It really is black, isn't it?" I asked as I grabbed my bangs and checked. "That's weird. When did that happen?"

"When we opened released our aura," Gon said with a grin. "It's so cool!"

Killua rolled his eyes, "If you say so."

I grinned, "I like it. Ah, it even feels softer."

I ran my fingers through my bangs then frowned, "Nope. False alarm. It looks softer though."

"That's because it's blurry," Killua told me.

"Well look know-it-all, I can be happy every once in a while, can't I?!" I yelled.

"Costa," Gon said. "Why are you blocking out the pain so I can't feel it?"

I leaned against the back of the elevator. "Guilt, I guess. Some people deserve pain, Gon. Someone like me."

"And what do I deserve?" Killua asked.

I smiled at him, "You're trying to live a better life. I can't even let mine go. I'm hoping it'll kick in one day. To just let go and leave it behind. But I can't. I'm afraid the moment I walk away, someone is going to come. Someone that wants to ruin us. And I'll be too lost to know what to do. And I can't risk it."


	11. 200 Floor

When we got to the hallway to go to the receptionists, I could tell what Wing was talking about. The dark aura coming from the other side was probably Hisoka's, but Wing was wrong. My entire body had gone numb from the pain of _Ten_.

The three of us paused when Hisoka came into our sight. I could see his _Nen_ coming at us, but our _Ten_ blocked it. I wondered if it was best to keep mine up at all times or to let it go. Would I ever get used to this pain?

When we got to the end of the hall, I could see the sick smile on Hisoka's face. "Welcome to the 200s," Hisoka said. "It appears I needn't bother with the traditional greeting. I can guess why you've come to Heavens Arena. You intended to train before challenging me."

"Yeah," Gon confirmed. "but, I didn't expect to find you here. That saves me time."

Hisoka laughed, "You should avoid being overconfident in your ability to use _Ten_. There is much to learn about _Nen_," he said as he held his fingers up. A pink glow appeared on his fingertips and the energy that formed met together making a spade. "To be honest, at present, I feel no urge to fight you." The spade turned into a skull. He stood up. "However, if you manage to win a single match in the 200s, I shall accept your challenge." Hisoka looked at me, "Costa, you can challenge me at any time. Your abilities fascinate me."

With that, he walked away.

Gon and Killua looked at me and I just shrugged. "Wing said I was going to radiate hostility."

"Let's go," Killua said.

Gon and I followed him to the receptionist desk. I glanced back to see three people looking at us from the shadows.

I didn't like the feeling _Nen_ gave me. It was almost like I had lost my will to fight.

"Welcome to the 200s!" The perky receptionist greeted. "Please fill out the forms here. Would you like to register for a match now?" The three of us just looked at each other. The receptionist started explaining the rules of the 200s, "In this class, there is a self-service system by which you are permitted 90 days of preparation. You may choose to fight on any day during that time. Of course, you're free to fight every day, and you can wait until the very last day to fight. Once you've participated in a fight, you have another 90 days to prepare. However, if you don't fight before those 90 days end, you will be disqualified, and your name will be struck from all records."

"Does that mean we'll be fighting in this class multiple times?" Gon asked.

"Yes! You need ten wins to clear this floor," she informed us. "However, if you lose four times before ten wins, you'll be disqualified. And if you win ten times, you have a chance to challenge the Floor Masters! The Floor Masters are the 21 strongest fighters here. Each one claims one of the floors, from 230 to 250. Do you understand now? If you defeat a Floor Master, you become the new master of that floor! Th-That's not all!" She slammed her hands angrily on the counter, trying to get us interested in this mess she was talking about.

Of the three of us, Killua was probably the only one that understood what she was talking about and he probably didn't care.

"If you become a Floor Master, you earn the right to participate in the biennial celebration of combat, Battle Olympia!"

Gon and Killua were just staring at her while I picked up my paperwork and started filling it out.

The receptionist growled in frustration, "No reaction? And you're filling out paperwork?!"

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about," I said bluntly. "I learn through experience. So, I guess I'll figure it out. I have 90 days to challenge someone to a fight. That's all that matters."

"Forget that," Killua said. "Is there anything special about the top floor?"

She pressed her hands against the glass that separated us, "That's what you want to know?!"

"You're the one that didn't ask," I muttered.

She glared at me then looked at Killua, "The champion of Battle Olympia gets to live on the top floor! It's an incredible honor!"

I laughed a bit while Gon and Killua just looked at each other.

"A penthouse 1000 meters above the ground! Don't you get it?!"

"But Killua's house is 3700 meters above the ground, right?" Gon asked.

"Yeah," I said dully as I slipped my paper under the glass to the frustrated woman.

"A-And the champion always receives a prize of-"

"What do you want to do, Gon?" Killua asked. "Now that I know the top floor's secret, I don't care anymore."

Gon looked at me, "What do you want to do?"

"Well, Wing said everyone up here knows _Nen_," I said. "And I need to master _Nen_ before we can leave…or something. But if what she says is true, we need to wait it out. Get our _Nen_ strong enough to handle the battles. After a few practice rounds, you should be able to handle Hisoka."

Gon nodded with a determined smile, "Yeah! I just want to fight Hisoka."

"Why are you kids even here?" The receptionist asked more to herself than us.

"Well, then you'll need to win a fight," Killua said. "But you're going to wait a bit, right?"

I snorted, "No."

"No," Gon said as he looked at his fist.

Killua gave me a glare. "You made him say that."

"Did not!" I yelled.

"Did too!" He yelled back while poking me in the chest.

"Did not!" I growled back, raising my fist as if it would help my point.

"You did too!" He yelled, raising his fist too.

I jumped on him, "Did not!"

"Did too!" He yelled as we started wrestling on the ground.

Gon pulled Killua off me, laughing at our childish fight. "I'm doing this. I have to find out how different these opponents are."

I got to my feet, "Gon, wouldn't it be safer for me to get in the ring and find out?" I asked. "If your _Ten_ goes out, you'll get seriously injured. If mine goes out, I kill him and the match is over."

"She's got a point," Killua said.

"No," Gon said stubbornly. "I have to do this. I need to find out how strong Hisoka really is."

"I don't know why you try," Killua said. "It's like arguing with a rock."

I glared at him, "At least I tried."

He glared at me while grabbing me by my shirt, "What was that?!"

"Shut up!" The receptionist yelled.

He pulled me closer to where our foreheads were touching and we were both growling at each other, then pushed me away. I turned my back to him and crossed my arms over my chest with a 'hmph'.

"Hey," Killua said quietly.

I looked at the three that had come up behind us. They…looked wrong. One was a red cloaked man with some strange metal pipe for a nose and a metal stick for a leg. Another had ghostly white skin and hair to match, but his eyes were nothing more than slits in his face and he was dressed in a strange tabard. His long sleeves covered where his left arm was missing. The last was the only normal looking one. He had spiky brown hair covered with a yellow helmet, but he was sitting in a wheelchair with tractor tires.

What were these people?

"You want something?" Killua asked.

"No, not really," the one in the wheelchair responded.

"We're simply in line to register for a fight," the ghost with no arm explained with a sly smile.

I narrowed my eyes as I stepped in front of Gon. Killua grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side, "I get it. Gon, these guys want to fight on the day you do."

"I'm ready to go whenever," Gon announced.

"There you go," Killua said, still holding me back.

"This boy had plenty of spunk," the ghost said.

"Then Gon-sama will be in room 2207," the receptionist said. "Killua-sama will be in room 2223. Costa-sama will be in room 2312." She slid the keys under the glass, "We will let you know which day your match is."

"Thanks," Gon said.

I grabbed my key and shoved it into my pocket while glaring at the three that had come to challenge us.

"That's a dangerous look, girl," the ghost said. "Care to stand up to it?"

Killua grabbed me by my waist and held me back, "Costa, calm down. You're trying to stop killing, remember?"

"I never said I was going to kill them," I said. "But it sounds like a good idea."

Killua's hold on me changed slightly and my heart seemed to stop at the feeling of intimacy, "Just walk away," he whispered. "We'll challenge them later."

I relaxed and he let go. We walked down the hall toward our rooms. I put my hand over my chest while the boys talked.

We arrived to Gon's room first. "Wow! This room is huge!" Gon yelled as he ran around.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Killua asked him.

Gon was in the bathroom, "The bath is squeaky clean!"

I smiled some as I stood next to Killua, "Give us some credit. We don't have this like you do."

When Gon finally went to the bedroom, we followed him in.

"Wee!" Gon squealed excitedly. "I've never seen a bed so big!"

The room was a small house and an elegant one at that. I watched Killua walk to the window and Gon ran to it to look out.

The TV turned on by itself and I stared at it. Maybe it was demon possessed.

"Hey Gon," Killua said as he walked next to me.

It was Gon's fight announcement.

"Your battle has been set for 3 PM, March 11!" the TV said.

I growled.

"What? Tomorrow?" Killua exclaimed. "That's fast!"

I could feel Gon's excitement, but he couldn't feel my anger. The revenge I was going to get against whoever he fought again was inevitable.

I could feel Gon's _Ten_. He had his eyes closed in meditation, "I probably won't be able to win tomorrow. But that's ok. I need the experience. I need to discover what I can do with this power."

I punched Killua, "Stop encouraging him!"

Killua glared at me, "I'm not encouraging him! It's not like I can stop him!"

I walked up to Gon and punched his face into the ground. Gon sat up, frowning at me. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I'm going to be crying too hard to kick your dead body tomorrow," I told him. "After that, I'll be sure to kill them all."

I walked out and headed toward my room.

"Costa, you need to let Gon learn," Killua said as he followed me.

"I don't need your lectures, Killua," I growled.

I shoved the key into my door ready to unlock the door, but Killua turned me around and slammed me to the door.

"You can't protect him. You need to let him learn from his mistakes," Killua yelled at me, desperate for me to understand.

I rested my forehead on his shoulder, "I know. It's not the mistakes I'm trying to protect him from. It's the pain. This _Nen_…I've never felt pain like this before. Constant…If I let it slip at all…Gon will feel it and he won't be able to bear it. This is the most dangerous thing I've ever agreed to do. And…if it doesn't matter how far apart we are, Gon will pass out from this pain."


	12. Like a Bullet

Killua and I sat next to each other waiting for Gon and the red cloaked guy on a stick, Gido.

"Are you sure you should be here?" Killua asked me again.

"You're starting to piss me off, Killua," I said as I watched Gon stretch.

Killua sighed as he watched as well, "What's Gon feeling?"

"He was thinking about something, now he's just excited about the fight," I said.

"Probably what Four-Eyes told us," Killua said. "Not to fight for two months. You were unconscious for that part."

The ref started the match. I winced at the sudden amount of _Ten_ Gon decided to use and had to match the amount. Gido formed a spinning top on his finger. As I shook in pain, I watched with what little interest I could bear. How did he make that top? Were there _Nen_ abilities that could do that?

Gido placed the top on his cane and made at least ten of them.

"There they are, Gido's Dancing Tops!" The announcer, Koko announced. "He uses numerous tops to attack his opponent!"

He launched the tops at Gon. None directly attacked Gon, but they spun around him. One bounced off another behind him and struck him in the back. I gasped in pain. Direct _Nen_ attacks definitely caused pain on top of the pain I was in if it was because of Gon.

"Are you alright?" Killua asked.

"Wing didn't realize how direct our connection was," I said weakly.

Gon landed on the ground and the tops followed him. Gido was rewarded a point.

"Oh, Gon gives up a clean hit and one point, right off the bat!" The announcer called. "He's off to a rough start!"

Gon was intensely watching the tops bounce off each other and dodging what he could.

"What's happening?" Killua asked, on edge as he watched.

"Gido has no control over the tops," I explained. "They're just hitting each other and when they do, they hit Gon."

"How bad is the pain?" Killua asked.

"It's hard to tell," I replied. "When he got hit, it felt like a bullet hit me. But I'm using _Ten_ just because Gon is so I won't kill everyone. His pain was not that bad. Where it hits is an issue. It hit right in the spine, which feels a lot worse, but the pain was probably not that bad."

I watched the ref climb out of the ring. Gon was trying to run away from the tops, but they just followed him.

"It's hard to say what Gido's Nen does. They could just be told to attack or they could be centered on Gon's aura. If that was the case, he could drop _Ten_."

"If it isn't the case, he'll get a direct hit," Killua said.

"Yeah, I know," I said.

Another top slammed into Gon's back and Killua caught me before I fell onto the people in front of us. He kept his arm around me so I wouldn't be flying everywhere.

"He's been hit behind by another top!" Koko announced. "Gon is in big trouble after being surrounded by Dancing Tops!"

The next top hit him in the face. Killua held me up while I took the blow. Gon flew across the arena landing on his back. I was lucky that Killua didn't fly off as well.

"Gido has already earned four points!" Koko announced.

"What's Gon thinking?" Killua asked.

"Same thing we are," I said. "There are too many tops…and he doesn't know what to do."

It was almost like all the tops decided to attack at once. Gon was able to dodge them well enough, but…

Gon suddenly stopped dodging.

"What's he doing?!" Killua exclaimed.

"He can sense the _Nen_ in the tops," I said, gritting my teeth.

My skin was on fire.

My eyes widened as Gon's _Ten_ started fading. I didn't let my _Ten_ down, hoping it would help Gon.

It didn't.

The fully _Nen_ charged top slammed into Gon's stomach, throwing him high into the air and out of the ring. I thought I was going to die.

"Another direct hit!" Koko announced. "Gon is completely helpless! He's been knocked out of the ring! The score is now 6-0! He's dug himself a big hole!"

I watched the ref run to Gon, even though I knew he was fine.

"Are you alright?" Killua asked. "That looked like it was a bad hit."

"His _Ten_ went down," I said. "I kept mine up hoping his would get back, but it didn't come back in time. If he tries to focus on the tops, he's going to lose the _Ten_. I can't help him if he shuts down like that. He blocked me out."

"Look at the ring," Killua said.

I watched the tops for a moment. "That's what Gon's noticing. The tops aren't targeting him. They're just bouncing off each other."

Gon ran back to the arena and jumped over the tops going straight for Gido. Gido started spinning around like a top.

"There it is!" Koko yelled. "Gido's special technique, combining offense and defense! Tornado Top!"

"This is gonna suck," I muttered.

Gon flew back landing outside the arena and skipping back until he slammed into the wall. I sighed when the sharp pain finally stopped.

"Three points!" Koko yelled. "The judge has awarded a critical hit and knockdown! Gido has nine points! Gon is on the verge of losing!"

Gon was struggling to get up. I realized I was struggling just to breathe.

Gon climbed back into the arena.

"Gon!" Killua exclaimed.

I watched as his _Ten_ began to fade. I tried to make mine stronger, but I wasn't certain how much longer mine would last. The tops came at him.

Killua let go of me and held onto the bar in front of us. "Idiot! If you're hit by a _Nen_ attack, without protection, you'll be totally messed up!"

"He knows," I told Killua as calmly as I could. "He knows he can't dodge the tops unless he isn't focusing on his _Ten_. We learned it yesterday. We still have to focus on it. Since it's gone, he can focus on the _Nen_ and at least dodge them. Maybe Gido will wear out."

When the tops came next to Gon's head, he easily dodged them, but my skin was on fire again. I smiled as much as I could despite the pain as I watched Gon's incredible skill of dodging.

Just keep pushing it, Gon. He'll run out eventually. Then you'll have the advantage.

"Amazing!" Koko yelled. "It's the first time Gon has managed to evade an attack!"

There had to be at least fifty tops that Gon was dodging. Killua and I had our hands together, squeezing as hard as we could praying Gon would survive this. Every once in a while, I would feel my skin light up when the tops came too close, but I was too focused on the ring.

"How long can this exchange continue?" Koko announced. "There are nearly fifty tops flying around the ring! Gon is evading the frightening whirlwind of tops! Gido has used up all his tops, and can only watch with the rest of us!"

Gon jumped the wrong way. Killua and I jumped to our feet.

"Not that way!" We cried out.

I was in tears as the tops began to slam into Gon. I didn't care about the pain anymore. It was Gon…

Get your _Ten_ up.

I was pushing as much of mine out as I could, but I was running out. After the fight, Killua helped me get to the infirmary where I got bandaged up with Gon. I was glad he was unconscious. After we got Gon to his room, we sat on his bed and Gon just frowned as he looked at me.

Killua was ranting. "Your right radius and ulna were broken. Fractured humerus. Three broken ribs. Twelve other minor fractures. Four months before both of you are completely healed up. You moron!"

"Sorry," Gon said.

Killua got right in Gon's face and started poking him in the forehead, "An apology won't help! Do you have any brains in there?" He started poking him harder, "Didn't you see what happened to those who suffered the traditional _Nen_ greeting?!" He flicked Gon in the forehead. "One wrong move, and you could have ended up like them! You're lucky not to be hurt any worse. Man, why do you think Four-Eyes is training us?"

"Still," Gon said with a nervous smile, "I had a feeling I would be ok. I took a few hits, but I wasn't in mortal danger, as long as he missed my vital spots."

I yelped when Killua shoved his shoe into Gon's broken arm. "Killua! That hurts!"

"Block it out!" He yelled at Gon. "The reason you thought you weren't in mortal danger was because Costa was telling you that. She felt more pain than you did. She had to use Ten through the entire match, do you know how painful that is for her? Then every top that hit you, she took as well. Everything, Gon! And she was using _Ten_! She was already in pain and you put her in more!"

A knock caught our attention.

"Come in!" Killua said as he pulled his foot off Gon's arm.

I glared at him as he got up and walked to the door to open it.

"Four-Eyes!" Killua announced.

I looked over my shoulder to see Wing. I stayed on the bed as Wing walked up.

"Uh, sorry," Gon started.

He was stopped by Wing slapping him across the face hard. I put my hand to my cheek and looked down.

Killua put his hands on my shoulders. Wing really didn't know.

"An apology won't help!" Wing yelled. I looked at my hands, suddenly feeling guilty. "What were you thinking?! Didn't you see those who suffered the traditional _Nen_ greeting?! You could have ended up just like them!"

"Oh, that's what I just told him," Killua said.

Wing rested his hand on Gon's shoulder, "Honestly, I'm glad you weren't injured any worse."

"Wing-san, I really am sorry," Gon said.

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes.

"No, I won't let this one slide," Wing said. "But we'll handle that in a moment. Costa," I looked up at him, the tears still in my eyes. "Tell me about your fight."

"What fight?" I asked.

"How did you get those injuries?" He asked.

"Through Gon's fight," I said.

"They have the same breaks," Killua said. "It's weird."

"Killua-kun," Wing said. "Do you know when they will have recovered completely?"

"The doctor said it would take two months," Killua lied smoothly.

Wing turned back to Gon, "I understand."

Killua and I grinned at each other.

"In that case, I won't allow you to participate in any matches for two months," Wing said to Gon. "I won't allow you to train in, or study about, _Nen_. If you don't abide by these rules, I will never teach you again. Well?"

"I understand," Gon said. "I'll do as you say."

"Give me your left hand," Wing said.

I watched as Wing tied a string to Gon's shoulder.

"This is a promise thread," Wing explained. "It will be a visual reminder of your promise. Killua-kun, Costa-chan, a moment please."

I slid off the bed and walked out of the room with Killua and Wing. We left Heavens Arena and went to a bench just outside the building. Wing stood in front of us while I sat next to Killua.

"What is the true objective the three of you are pursuing?" She asked.

"Well, we don't really have an objective," Killua said. "Before running into Zushi and you, my plan was to earn some quick cash. Gon's here to train hard, so he can defeat a guy named Hisoka. I hate to admit it, but Costa's our common sense. We'd probably be completely lost without her. But, she's really just here because she has nowhere else to go. That's it, really. Looks like the others in the 200s want to reach the top floor." He looked at me, "What was it called?"

"Battle Olympus?" I guessed.

He smiled, "Battle Olympia!"

I shrugged, "Same thing."

Killua looked back at Wing, "Gon might be interested, but we're not. Oh, Gon is…Well, I'm not sure…He said he only wants to fight Hisoka. But after seeing his match yesterday, I have a feeling he enjoys the thrills."

"You say that he was enjoying a situation that could have cost him his life?" Wing asked.

"Yeah," Killua said. "I know because I've felt the same way. Although I take circumstances into consideration, too. Once he's in the zone, he loses sight of everything else. Oh! But he isn't the type to break a promise twice, so you needn't worry."

I noticed the look of doubt on Wing's face.

"It's too late," Killua said as he stood up. "Because Gon and I already know. If you regret teaching us and decide to back out, we'll find someone else, or we'll learn it ourselves. But you have to teach Costa. The amount of pain she was in yesterday…I can't see her in it again. Gon can't be the one to put her through it again. You need to fix her."

I stood up and stretched my left arm. At least it was still working.

"You don't have to feel responsible for Gon and me," Killua said. "My brother and Hisoka can both use _Nen_, so Gon and I were bound to discover it eventually. All I'm holding you responsible for is Costa."

I sighed as I watched him start to head back to Heavens Arena. "I understand," Wing said. "And I mean to finish what I started. There are many things I must tell you. Zushi is waiting in my lodge. You can train with him."

I stood up and smiled, "No thanks."

"No," Killua said. "I'll pass too."

Wing was clearly confused by our answers.

"We won't leave Gon behind," Killua explained.

Killua and I started back to the building. "If he keeps his promise, I'll start training when he does."

"Tell Gon-kun this," Wing yelled. "I will allow him to practice the other 'Nen'! Tell him to practice 'Ten' daily!"

Killua gave a careless wave.

When we got inside, Killua looked at me, "You should have gone with him. The closer you are to finishing _Nen_, the less pain you'll be in."

"Yeah," I said. "What fun is it to continue without friends? Besides, this other 'Nen' might help with the pain."


	13. A Kiss from Kastro

When Killua and I got back to Gon's room to tell him the news about the other 'Nen', Gon was already practicing. Killua and I smiled at each other before taking a seat on the floor and starting our meditation.

My mind went to my pain. Finding a way to stop it.

I found myself hearing my heart. The steady beating kept my mind. I could feel my blood flowing through my veins. I could feel my heart beating. I could feel the air circulating in my lungs as I breathed. My nerves were on end making me sensitive to everything around me.

But there was something foreign inside. It felt dark. It was covering my nerves. It lined my heart. It controlled me. I would have go get it out before I knew where it was. It was the _Nen_ String.

Something shook me and I opened my eyes. Gon and Killua were standing over me.

"Something wrong?" Killua asked.

"No," I told him. "Why?"

"We thought you were going to kill us," Killua said. "What happened?"

"The _Nen_ String," I said as I pointed at my heart. "It's all over me. It's in my heart, it's in my blood, it's wrapped around my nerves. That's why I'm in so much pain. If I can find a way to get the string off my nerves, I should be ok."

They smiled. "That's great!" Gon yelled excitedly.

"We're going for lunch," Killua explained. "You coming?"

I nodded and let Killua help me up. As we headed to some nearby restaurant, I could feel eyes on us. I glanced back and saw Gido and his friends watching us.

We were in no condition to fight, but they would suffer at the end of four months when Gon and I were completely healed.

… … … …

I ran to Gon's room. "Gon! Check it out!"

He watched as I balanced on my previously broken arm, "I think this _Nen_ stuff is working!"

"Ah!" Gon gasped. "I'm gonna try too!"

He balanced on his arm and we grinned at each other. I pushed myself off the ground and caught myself. This was awesome! It only took a month to heal.

"Where's Killua?" Gon asked.

"Beats me," I said. "I called his room and he didn't answer."

The door opened.

"Gon, I got something good," Killua announced then stared at us in shock.

"Killua!" Gon called excitedly. "We were about to go look for you!"

"Uh," he slowly closed the door, his eyes wide as he watched us. "Are you really healed?" He asked skeptically.

"Yeah!" Gon and I said, walking on our hands for a moment.

I pushed myself off, doing a flip and landing right in front of Killua, grinning like an idiot. Gon did the same, his grin matching mine.

Gon ran in place, "See? We're perfectly fine!"

Killua looked away, "Ok, I get it." He raised an eyebrow, "Man, what are your bodies made of?"

Gon and I looked at each other then back to Killua.

"How to answer that…" Gon said.

I just grinned. From Killua's expression, I knew what he was going to say.

We're weird.

"You're weird," He said bluntly.

"Well? Weren't you about to say something?" Gon asked.

"Oh," Killua reached into his pockets, "Here."

He held up three tickets.

"Tickets?" Gon and I asked.

"These aren't just tickets," Killua replied with a smile. The smile changed to a smirk, "They're for Hisoka's fight."

Gon and I just stared at him, amazed he got them.

"I'm hungry," I said. "Can we talk about this over some food?"

Gon nodded, "I am too. Let's go!"

I ran to the door and Gon pushed me out of the way.

"Dammit, I was here first!" I yelled at him.

"Too bad!" Gon yelled back.

Killua sighed and opened the door. "Did you two get your brains beat out of you?"

We just grinned and followed him out.

After ordering about seven different meals, we went outside.

Killua started explaining everything while Gon and I shoved food down our throats, "As a 200s fighter, I got dibs on the tickets. The tickets for Hisoka's fight are a really hot item. There are even scalpers hawking them."

"Oh," Gon and I hummed through our mouths full of food.

"So I've been gathering information. It turns out Hisoka's the real deal. He has an 8-3 record, with 6 KO's. Each KO has led to death."

"But he's lost three matches," Gon pointed out.

"His three losses were due to forfeits," Killua said.

"Forfeits?" Gon asked.

"He reached the registration deadline, so he signed up for a fight, but didn't show."

"Which means…" Gon started.

"If Hisoka actually fights, he doesn't lose," Killua confirmed.

Gon nodded, "Yeah."

"And he's only given up a total of four points. One knockdown, three clean hits. He's as strong as a Floor Master."

Gon groaned, "I'm in trouble."

I raised an eyebrow at his excitement, "You don't feel like you're in trouble."

We started a journey around the city. Gon had been in that room almost the entire month.

"So his opponent is some guy named Kastro," Killua continued. "Two years ago, he claimed the sole knockdown against Hisoka. And of the four points scored against Hisoka, he's responsible for three."

"He scored three points against Hisoka," Gon muttered.

"You could say they have a history," Killua said as we got on an escalator. "Apparently, they both registered for the same day so they could fight each other. You should have the chance to analyze Hisoka's fighting style. Maybe we'll get to see Hisoka go all-out."

"But is this ok?" Gon asked him. "I promised Wing-san."

"Of course it's ok!" Killua said. "You'll just be watching a match."

"A match wouldn't hurt," I agreed.

The three of us froze at the sight of Wing standing at the top of the escalator.

"It is not ok," Wing said angrily. "Viewing a match counts as learning _Nen_."

"W-Wing-san," Gon stuttered.

"Don't scare us," Killua said.

"Gon-kun, Costa-chan," Wing started. "Have your arms healed?"

"Y-Yes," Gon said. "It's completely fine now."

"Since he's recovered, he can watch the match, right?" Killua asked.

"No, I told Gon-kun to wait two months," Wing said firmly.

Killua deadpanned in annoyance.

"Gon-kun, you should spend one more month practicing 'Ten,' and recovering from your injuries. Costa, I suggest you do the same."

"Oh…" Gon said. "Ok, I understand."

"Well, then it's fine," Wing said.

I stuck my tongue out at him as he walked away.

"Osu!" Zushi said with a bow, "Take care."

"Oh, well," Killua said dismally. "You'll have to watch a recording, so Costa and I will go see it in person."

Gon nodded with a smile.

… … … …

Killua and I stood in the hallway watching the TV as they reported about Hisoka and Kastro.

"Hello! I'm your announcer, Cocco!" Some girl announced. "Today in Heavens Arena, we have Kastro versus Hisoka, the match you've all been waiting for! Just look at this crowd!"

I sighed, "I told you we should have gotten here earlier."

"Yeah, but we wouldn't have been able to hear the stats about both fighters," Killua stated.

"I guess," I grumbled.

"The match doesn't start for another hour, but the arena is already packed!" Cocco announced.

I pouted as I looked at the packed place. I hated climbing over people. A sudden wave of excitement took over me.

Killua looked at me when the uncontrollable grin formed on my face. "Gon?" He asked knowingly.

"Yeah," I said, my excitement growing. "He's really pumped about this fight."

"Two years ago, Hisoka was the winner of their match," Cocco read from a paper. "The audience is fired up to watch this match of destiny, as Kastro looks for revenge!"

"Wanna make a bet?" I asked Killua.

"Sure," Killua said curious as to what I had to offer while we bought some snacks for the match. "What is it?"

"If Hisoka is going to let him live or not," I said.

Killua just stared at me, "Of course he's going to kill him."

"Why hasn't he killed him yet?" I asked.

"Like you said, Hisoka won't kill someone who isn't worth his time. They signed up on the same day to fight. Kastro's worth killing apparently."

Killua munched on his peanuts while I sipped on my soda, our attention on the TV.

"Sporting an 8-3 record, with all three losses being forfeits due to absence, we have the deadly magician with the tendency toward absence, Hisoka! And opposing him, boasting a 9-1 record, one win away from the Floor Masters after nine straight wins since his loss to Hisoka, we have the martial artist, Kastro! Will he avenge his earlier loss, as he's predicted?"

I took one of the peanuts from Killua's bag, earning a glare from him. As revenge he stole my drink and drank some.

"That's a brave assumption," I told him as I got my drink back. "Especially since he lost to him last time." I looked at Killua, "Hisoka is definitely going to kill him. I wonder why Kastro waited so long."

"Waited so long for what?" He asked.

"Two years since he lost to Hisoka? He could be a Floor Master now."

"Maybe he was waiting for revenge," Killua suggested.

"Get ready for a battle between the two fighters nearest to reach the Floor Masters!" Cocco yelled.

I studied Kastro for a moment. Long silver hair, blue eyes, a yellow cape.

"I thought he'd be some macho gorilla," Killua said.

"Next up, we have an interview with Kastro, from a few days ago!" Cocco announced excitedly.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched him. He was far too pretty.

"I wouldn't fight if I didn't expect to win," Kastro said. He smiled, "You'll see that I'm not the same person I was two years ago."

"He sounds confident," Killua said.

"He's pretty," I stated stunned.

Killua gave me a blank look, "Pretty? Are you some fan girl now?"

I nudged him with a smile, "I'm your number one fan." My attention went back to the TV, "Look at him. He doesn't look like a fighter. There's a difference between you and him."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "You think I'm pretty?"

"No, stupid," I said. "Though, your eyes are. But you're cute. He could be mistaken for a girl."

Killua blushed annoyed with my statement, "Stop that. It's embarrassing."

I rolled my eyes, "You're a pain in the ass."

Killua glared at me then started to walk away. I frowned, wondering if I had offended him. He paused and looked back, noticing I wasn't with him. "Aren't you coming?"

I caught up with him, "Where are we going?"

"To see if he can back it up," Killua stated with a smirk.

I followed Killua to the elevator that would take us back to the 200 floor where our rooms were. Killua peaked around the corner then looked back at me, "Someone's guarding the walkway."

"Then distract him," I said.

"Get ready to climb onto my back," he said as he pulled a peanut from his bag.

I watched him flick it then I jumped on when the guard was distracted. Killua quickly and silently moved past him then put me down. We turned down the hallway and looked around for where Kastro might be.

Killua nudged me and pointed at the cracked door. I could see Kastro sitting on the couch.

Killua had activated some sort of something and grabbed my hand. We silently moved to the door and peaked in. He was just sitting there. Then I felt something behind me. I squeezed Killua's hand, trying not to kill whoever was stupid enough not to hide their _Nen_ around me.

"Was there something you needed?" The person behind me asked.

Killua tensed up, clearly surprised by what he heard.

Killua suddenly turned around, keeping my hand in his, "W-Well, I was hoping you would give my girlfriend an autograph," he lied while pointing at me.

"From me?" Kastro asked while smiling at me.

Killua so owed me.

I blushed as I shyly looked away from Kastro, "I'm a huge fan. I've been watching recordings of your previous matches since I got to the 200s. You're amazing!"

"You honor me," Kastro said. "Costa-chan."

I forced my blush to increase as I looked up at him, grinning at him, "Oh my god! You know my name?" I grabbed Killua's face making him look at me, "He knows my name!"

"I keep tabs on all my rivals in the 200 class," Kastro explained. "You're not with Gon?"

"So you do know everything," Killua said.

"Are you here to scout an opponent?" Kastro asked.

"Nope," Killua said. "I promised her a closer look."

Kastro turned to me, "And what do you think?"

I sighed dreamily, "You're amazing."

"Thank you," he said. He turned to Killua, "Your _Zetsu_ was quite impressive."

Killua looked a bit surprised at the compliment.

"However, you should have concealed your presence before reaching this floor," Kastro stated. "When an aura as strong as yours disappears, that would put most of us on alert."

"You've been following up on us since we reached this floor?" Killua asked.

"Only you," Kastro said.

"Only me?" Killua asked.

"Your girlfriend is either incredibly good at using her _Zetsu_ or she has no idea what _Nen_ is," Kastro said.

I blinked owlishly, "Killua, what's he talking about?"

Killua patted my hand, "I'll explain later. But I want to know," he directed at Kastro, "How did you do that just now?

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you," Kastro replied. "After all, I might have to fight you some day."

"Don't worry," Killua replied nonchalantly. "I'm not interested in fighting here again."

"Really?" Kastro asked. "That's not what your aura says." He laughed, "That was a joke. I'll answer your question when we fight. I'll wait for you in Battle Olympia."

He looked back at me, a gentle smile on his lips. "Would you like something better than an autograph?"

I squealed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. I froze on the spot as he walked away. I gently touched my cheek then screamed in excitement and began bouncing around, "Kastro kissed me!"

Killua rolled his eyes, "You got what you wanted now let's go."

I skipped down the hall to the elevator where I happily pushed the button. As soon as we got in the elevator I wiped my cheek to get his girlish cooties off my face.

Killua laughed at me, "That was so believable, I almost believed it."

I rolled my eyes as I leaned against the back of the elevator. "You owe me so much, I can't even tell you."

"So, what are you doing with your _Nen_?" Killua asked. "I didn't notice until he pointed it out."

"Oh, I found a way to use 'Ten' without meditating on it. It doesn't help much, but it's keeping my _Nen_ String from growing again. Then again, that might just be _Zetsu_, but it doesn't hurt, so I dunno."

"You did a good job not killing him," Killua said as the elevator started to descend.

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered. "I feel like I need to burn my skin off."


	14. The Magician and Doppelganger

Killua and I went to the arena and found our seats. I blew my black hair out of my face as I sat there.

"Don't tell Gon," I told Killua.

"And tell him I had to claim you as my girlfriend? No, not happening."

I rolled my eyes as I looked at Kastro and Hisoka standing in the ring, "I wouldn't be a terrible girlfriend."

"You'd make an incredible actress. Are you sure you should fight?"

I huffed as I crossed my arms over my chest, "I don't want to talk about it. Emergency situations have emergency causes. You got to see him up close."

Killua suddenly looked angry, "He was too interested in you."

I raised an eyebrow, "I didn't see that. He talked to you almost the entire time."

"If you had felt his aura, you would have noticed," Killua said. "When he talked to me, he was trying to intimidate me with his aura. At the same time, he was trying to impress you. Disgusting old man. He's worse than Leorio."

"Yes, it's finally time!" Cocco yelled. "The long-awaited rematch between Hisoka and Kastro!"

"I'm very grateful, Hisoka," Kastro said. "If not for the initiation you gave me back then, I'd never become this strong."

I raised an eyebrow at the fact microphones were picking up their conversation.

"Kastro got the traditional greeting," Killua said.

Hisoka chuckled darkly, "You mean to imply that you're stronger now?"

"Just so you're aware, I never used my full strength in any of the nine matches after my loss to you. Those matches were nothing more than a warm-up for my defeat of you."

"Begin!" the ref yelled.

The match began.

"Here I come!" Kastro yelled.

Kastro jumped at Hisoka ready to hit him, but when Hisoka dodged, Kastro appeared on the other side of Kastro and punched him.

Killua and I gasped.

Hisoka slid back, catching his footing.

"A clean hit! Kastro has landed the first strike!"

Hisoka did not look pleased as he kneeled on the ground.

"Give me your best shot, Hisoka," Kastro said.

"Hisoka has given up the first point after failing to evade Kastro's swift chop!"

I narrowed my eyes as I watched the fight. Was Kastro teleporting?

"I'm not the same person I was two years ago," Kastro said. "I won't hold back on my next attack."

Hisoka stood up with a smirk, "You'll have my best shot when I deem it necessary."

"Very well," Kastro responded. "Then I hope you'll change your mind soon."

Kastro attacked again. Hisoka dodged, but Kastro was on the other side and managed to hit him anyway. The way Kastro held his hands… he looked like he was scratching at Hisoka.

"I was sure he dodged that," Killua said.

"He did," I told him. "I think Kastro is teleporting."

Kastro kept attacking and Hisoka kept dodging.

"What's wrong?" Kastro asked Hisoka. "Will you just run around, rather than attack?"

Kastro jumped and landed a kick on Hisoka's arm he had raised to block the attack. Then Kastro was behind Hisoka, while he was still in front.

An after image?

Hisoka turned around and got kicked in the face. It threw him back and he landed on his back.

"Damn," I cursed. "He needs to get up."

"Clean hit! And knock down!" the ref announced.

"What an amazing start! Kastro has been knocking his opponent around! The score is now 4-0! However, are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Have you still not changed your mind?" Kastro asked the fallen joker. "Would you prefer to die ignorant?"

"C-Can you fight?" The ref asked Hisoka.

I watched Hisoka carefully. This guy wasn't even a problem for me. How could Hisoka die by his hands?

"Get up you asshole," I muttered.

A wave of relief flooded through me as Hisoka got up and dusted himself off.

"If I'm not mistaken, you seemed to disappear," Hisoka said.

"That's right! He disappeared! That's what I saw!"

"No," Hisoka said while raising his hand to his chin in thought, "that is not an accurate description."

I watched Hisoka carefully. What had he figured out?

"You were readying a kick from the front, when suddenly, you were behind me," Hisoka stated. "I suppose that would be more precise." He lowered his hand from his face, "But that doesn't sound right. Something is off. Yes, I feel I'm missing something very basic here."

"It's futile," Kastro said. "If you continue to run in circles, you'll never learn the truth. Because I'm done waiting. I'll take your arm with my next strike."

I swallowed hard.

"If you still will not attack, then so be it," Kastro told him.

"Fight back," I whispered.

"It seems you weren't good enough," Kastro said as he raised his hands, some green aura forming around them.

"He's going to use his Tiger Bite Fist!" A fan behind us yelled.

"Kastro's getting serious!" Another yelled.

I felt my blood run cold as I watched Hisoka who seemed careless about the attack. Tiger Bite Fist was supposed to be a myth. At least, in Fox Tail Cove it was.

"So, it's a _Nen_ attack," I muttered.

"Hisoka's going to die," Killua growled.

"Here I come!" Kastro yelled as he ran at Hisoka.

My jaw dropped as Hisoka held out his arm, waiting for Kastro to take it. "Go ahead and take it," Hisoka told him.

"Not worried huh?" Kastro asked dangerously. "Or is this meant to be a trap?" He jumped into the air, "Either way, I'll take your arm!"

I was certain Hisoka had lost his left arm when the green aura exploded. But Kastro appeared behind him, "Your other one."

Hisoka's arm went flying off.

"Hisoka's arm!" Someone exclaimed.

"Hisoka's right arm has been severed!"

Everyone in the audience screamed while I just leaned forward. Hisoka had to win this.

"You shouldn't assume that I'll act the way you want," Kastro said.

Hisoka looked back at him, "This was just part of the plan."

"What crap," Kastro said as he readied another Tiger Bite Fist.

He tried to attack Hisoka, but he dodged.

"Have we ever seen Hisoka in such a perilous situation?"

Hisoka caught his arm. He didn't seem worried it had been cut off.

"He's taken considerable damage!"

Hisoka smiled sickly, "I understand. Your ability is, in fact, a double."

"Impressive," Kastro said. "You are correct."

"A double?" Killua asked tensely. "What does he mean?"

Kastro raised his hand in front of him. An exact copy of himself began to come out of him.

"Then it wasn't an illusion!" Killua exclaimed. "When Kastro attacked, there really were two of him."

"What is going on here? Kastro has split in two? Cloned himself? Instead of disappearing, he's multiplying! Does he actually have a twin?!"

"Is this your doppelganger?" Hisoka asked while scratching his shoulder with his detached arm.

"Indeed," the two Kastros responded.

"I listened to your warning," Hisoka said. "And I watched carefully, rather than run. And it turns out my deduction that you disappeared was correct. So why did I question that description? That's because I still sensed your presence beside me. In fact, right before you disappeared, I felt a new presence. You duplicate yourself before disappearing."

"I'm impressed you that you managed to figure that out," the Kastros said. "I was able to successfully create a double with _Nen_. My double goes on the attack, while I hide in the shadows." The doubles started to meld together. "As soon as you react, I dismiss my double, and attack. Naturally, my double is no mere illusion. It exists as a second me until I send it away. You know this after suffering an attack from my double. In other words, you must fight both of my selves."

Kastro stomped his foot and got ready to use the Tiger Bite Fist again. "This is the true Tiger Bite Fist, completed through the mastery of _Nen_! I call it the True Tiger Bite Fist!"

"Incredible! We have an upset in the making! Hisoka, the winner two years ago, is in deep trouble! Will Kastro be able to avenge his previous defeat?"

"Next, I'll take your left arm," Kastro said. "Will you continue to act disinterested?"

"Hmm, let's see," Hisoka said. He licked his lips, "I may have a little motivation now."

Hisoka tucked his arm under his other arm and reached behind him pulling out some sort of cloth. I watched carefully for what he was going to do with it. He covered up his severed arm with it.

"What's this? Hisoka has covered his right arm with a scarf?"

"Shall I demonstrate my powers of clairvoyance?" Hisoka asked Kastro.

He threw the cloth into the air and cards rained down.

"Wow! His right arm has disappeared, and cards rain down! What does he intend to do?!"

"Now then," Hisoka said. "I have cards here, one to thirteen. Pick a number from these, and picture it in your head. Are you ready?" Hisoka asked him. "Once you have your number, add four, and double the result. After that, subtract six, and divide by two. Finally subtract your original number, and what do you have? I already know your answer."

Hisoka reached into his severed arm, pushing his hand further and further into the injury. I couldn't look away. As sickening as it was to watch, it was also fascinating.

He pulled out a card, "The answer is one."

"This is very strange…Insane! A satanic magic trick! And he's incorporated his own injury into the trick! The trick is worth no points. That had no effect on the match, but he's performing tricks! Hisoka is being totally bizarre again!"

Satanic my ass. It was a Hisoka magic trick…then again…

"You may keep this as a souvenir," Hisoka said, throwing the card at one of the Kastros.

He hit it away, "Scumbag. I will sever your left arm, so you can never mock anyone again."

Hisoka held out his arm, "Did you not hear me the first time? You may have it."

"Your wish will be granted!" one of the Kastros said.

I squeezed my hand, fear and excitement taking over me. Something else was squeezing my hand back, but I really didn't care.

"Woah! One of the Kastros is charging forward!"

As promised, Hisoka's arm was taken off. My heart dropped. How was Gon supposed to fight him now?

"Hisoka has sacrificed his one remaining arm!"

That arm landed outside the ring.

"What is he thinking?!"

"What?" the Kastro that had attacked Hisoka gasped, shock taking over his entire body.

"As expected, you attacked with your double," Hisoka said. "Had you, yourself attacked, I would have countered." Hisoka's right arm was reattached, "With this."

I gasped as I stared at his arm. Maybe…that was some satanic trick.

"Huh? His severed right arm has been restored!"

"This is another magic trick," Hisoka said. "Can you guess the secret behind it?"

Hisoka took a few steps forward and Kastro backed down.

"What's wrong?" Hisoka asked. "Are you frightened? You're surprised because you don't understand my trick. That's how magic works. Your power to create a double is certainly magnificent. But now I understand your ability," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

Hisoka had gotten into Kastro's head. I could feel his fear from where I was sitting, and I wasn't anywhere near the arena.

"I can also anticipate how you will attack with your double," Hisoka continued. "And I know how to counter that attack. It's quite unfortunate." He started walking toward Kastro, "You have the talent to become a skilled opponent. That was why I spared your life. Here is a prediction. You will die, in a frenzied dance."

Kastro had reached his limit and attacked, "Silence!"

He made his double and Hisoka looked toward one of them. Kastro seemed to freeze up at that.

Hisoka had picked the right one.

As the joker dodged the double's attacks, he explained everything. "Doubles are created in the original's image, so they tend to be pristine. But you can't recreate every effect of an ongoing battle. Did you not realize this?"

Kastro foolishly attacked Hisoka. Out of nowhere, Hisoka's detached arm slammed into Kastro's chin.

"What's going on here? This sequence of events is impossible to understand! Is this another one of Hisoka's tricks?"

I was surprised Kastro was standing.

"Don't bother," Hisoka told the double maker. "I hit you in the chin, so you'll have difficulty moving for a while. Meaning that you won't be able to evade my next attack."

Cards came from nowhere.

"You can't create another double," Hisoka said.

Two cards pierced Kastro's left arm.

"You need intense focus to create a double with _Nen_," Hisoka told him.

Two cards pierced Kastro's right arm.

"The only reason you were able to use doubles freely," Hisoka started.

Two cards pierced Kastro's left leg.

"Was because you had a normal state of mind," Hisoka finished.

Two cards stabbed into Kastro's right leg. He began to fall.

"Using _Nen_ to replicate and manipulate…"

Three cards stabbed into the left side of Kastro's chest.

"…something as complex as a human being…

Two cards stabbed into the right side of Kastro's chest.

"…is extremely difficult."

Kastro fell to his knees.

"Just how difficult is it?" Hisoka asked him. "By the time you've learned to use a double, you've forgotten how to use _Nen_ for anything else. I call that running out of memory."

The joker looked at Kastro, "You lost because you wasted memory space."

Kastro fell backwards, laying face up on the arena.

Hisoka started walking away.

"Kastro can no longer stand! Hisoka wins by knock out!"

My entire body was shaking. I fell back in my seat, trying to catch my breath. That fight was too intense. I looked at my hand and found Killua's inside it.

When had that happened?

His grip was still tight as he stared at the arena.

"Gon is in serious trouble," Killua said as he looked at me, his eyes filled with terrified excitement. "Serious trouble."


	15. Ren

I stared at Kastro's body for a while. It felt like the match had gone on for hours and I had been the one fighting. I was exhausted.

Killua's grip on my hand slowly began to loosen. He sighed, exhausted as well. When he looked at our hands he quickly let go with a blush.

I smiled some, "That was probably my fault. Sorry."

He smiled some, "I think it was both of us."

We made our way to Gon's room. Killua opened the door and walked in. I stood there, debating to go in or not. Killua looked back at me and I walked in.

"Killua! Costa! How was Hisoka's fight?" Gon asked.

"It was boring," Killua told him.

Killua walked to the window and Gon looked at me. "Costa…"

I knew the tears were forming in my eyes, "I'm fine. Too many emotions in too short of time always makes me cry."

Gon got up, "Did Hisoka win?"

I nodded.

"I was lying," Killua said. "It was an incredible fight. I hate to admit this, but I have no idea how Hisoka won."

Gon's eyes widened and he looked at me, "Could you tell?"

I shook my head with a sniffle.

Killua turned to us a smile on his lips, "Gon, we need to learn more about _Nen_."

Excitement spread over Gon's face, "Yeah!"

It was a few days later that I was dragging Killua around the town.

"Where are we going?!" Killua asked angrily.

"You've known Gon longer than I have. I need your opinion on something."

"If you can call two days longer," he muttered. "Why are you dragging me around?"

I stopped walking and looked at him, "What's the day after tomorrow?"

"Saturday."

"The date."

"May 5. What's so important about it? Other than Gon gets to learn _Nen_ again."

"It's Gon's birthday," I said bluntly.

"Wouldn't that make it your birthday?" Killua asked.

"I don't celebrate my birthday," I said. "Now c'mon."

I continued to drag him farther into the city.

"Why don't you celebrate your birthday?" Killua asked. "If you're going to celebrate Gon's you might as well celebrate yours."

"After we turn five or something, the acknowledgement of birthday's stop. When a birthday does come, we have the option of fighting or fleeing. If we choose to flee, we get kicked out."

"Your traditions are strange," he muttered.

I pushed him into a shop and dragged him to a glass container with a lot of different things inside.

"What's this?" Killua asked.

"Hunter License holders," I said with a grin. "But I'm after this," I pointed at a Hunter License holder with a whale on it. "Do you think he'll like it?"

Killua stared at it for a moment then looked at the other options. "What about that one?" He pointed at one that was just a general picture of nature.

"That seems girly," I said.

"The whale didn't?"

"It was to remind him of home."

"What could you get? The one with a skull on it?"

I hit him in the arm, "That isn't nice."

The guy behind the counter sighed, "What are you kids doing in here?"

"I want to get a Hunter License case," I said with a smile.

He raised an eyebrow, "You're a Hunter?"

"Yep!"

He sighed, "Let me see your card and you'll get it for free."

I pulled my card out of my back pocket and handed it to him. He looked at it for a moment, "Yep. It's real."

He sighed as he walked from behind the counter, "Which one?"

I looked at all of them. None really seemed like something Gon would want. My eyes landed on one that had a Fox Bear on it. The vicious beast was just like Gon. Stubborn and dangerous.

"That one," I said. "With the Fox Bear."

He opened the case and handed it to me. "Now, get out."

I stuck my tongue out at him and walked out with Killua.

"Now what?" Killua asked. "Are you going to wrap it up?"

I looked at him, "Wrap it up? What do you mean?"

He sighed, "Gifts are surprises wrapped up in decorated paper or in a bag with colorful paper sticking out. C'mon. I'll show you."

I followed him through the city to another store that had a lot of miscellaneous stuff. We walked through the store and Killua stopped in front of some colorful bags, "I think you should get a bag so you don't have to deal with an entire roll of wrapping paper."

"Do I have to put colorful paper in it?" I asked.

The colors they had were pink and blue. That was it.

"Nah," he said. He grabbed a small green bag. "Just put toilet paper or paper towels in there."

"I'll see if Wing has something," I told him.

After we bought the bag, I dropped the Hunter License holder in the bag and smiled. "Best birthday ever."

Killua folded his hands behind his head, "I didn't have birthdays either. It was acknowledged, but we didn't do anything. Usually I was given an extra assignment or something."

"When's your birthday?"

"July 7," he looked at me, "Since you can't give me a License holder, what are you going to get me?"

I shrugged, "Haven't put that much thought into it."

Gon ran up to us, "Wing-san wants us to come to his house!"

So, we went.

"Gon-kun, Killua-kun, Costa-chan. Starting today, you'll train with Zushi," Wing told us.

Earlier than I expected. I was glad I had put the bag in Killua's backpack.

"Gon-kun, I'm pleased that you kept your word," Wing praised.

"It's thanks to your promise thread," Gon said. "A few times, I almost gave in," he said while looking at the string. "But when I looked at the thread, I was able to control myself."

"That's because I added some _Nen_ to help you," Wing explained.

"Huh? Really?" Gon asked.

"No, I was lying," Wing said with a smile.

Gon an exasperated look on his face.

"But how could you tell he kept his word?" Killua asked. "He could have been practicing in secret."

Gon looked furious, offended Killua would even bring something like that up.

"Because the promise thread remained intact," Wing explained. "Gon-kun, it's been a while, but would you try using _Ten_?"

"It's ok?" Gon asked.

"Yes," Wing confirmed.

I stared at Wing. I had no idea how to activate _Ten_ anymore. I watched as Gon activated his _Ten_. It was so calm… It wasn't rough and untamed like it had been when we first started. It was a lot stronger.

"Zushi, what do you think?" Wing asked.

"I-It's amazing," Zushi admired. "His aura is flowing all around him! Soft and calm but it's very strong!"

"I did it!" Gon yelled excitedly. "Whew, I was worried that I might have forgotten how."

"Once you've learned the technique, you can't forget it," Wing said. "However, to become a master, you'll have to train hard."

"But it felt easier than before, despite not having been practicing _Ten_," Gon pointed out.

"That's because you were training your spirit each day," Wing explained. "Now, look at your left hand."

Killua and I looked at Gon's hand. The string was broken.

"It snapped!" Gon exclaimed.

"By applying my own _Nen_, I tied that thread such that if you broke your promise and used _Nen_, it would snap."

"Hey, Wing-san. Did you watch Kastro and Kastro's match?" Killua asked.

"Yes I did."

"What was the ability that Hisoka used? Could we send loose limbs flying around?"

I looked at him, "Why would you want to do that?"

"Why do you not want to?" Killua shot back.

I sighed as I thought about it, "As long as it's not my limbs, I guess you're right."

Wing chuckled, "That's a difficult question. Gon-kun, have you seen the fight on video?"

"No, not yet."

Wing held up a DVD, "Then I'll explain while we watch."

The four of us sat on the floor in front of the TV. Wing had the match set where Hisoka had the cloth over his paper then tossed it up and the cards fell out.

"Can you see the threads of aura extending from his left hand?" Wing asked.

"Threads of aura?" Gon and I asked.

"Yes," Wing said. "Do you see them?"

We just stared at the screen.

"N-Nope," Gon said.

"I can't see a thing," Killua said annoyed.

"Same here," Zushi said.

Wing looked at me, "And you?"

"Does it involve _Ten_?" I asked, slightly skeptical.

"No," Wing assured.

"Nope, nothing," I told him.

Gon was staring hard at the screen, "Are there really strings of aura coming from Hisoka's left hand?"

"Yes," Wing affirmed. "Hisoka is using a technique that makes aura difficult to perceive."

"Like _Zetsu_?" I asked.

"Yes, but it hides your aura attacks. It's a high-level application of _Zetsu_, known as _In_," Wing explained. "When you use In, even the strongest opponents will find it hard to see your aura. The most effective counter to this technique is to focus the aura created in _Ren_ into your eyes, a technique called _Gyo_. This method Gon-kun used in his fight with Gido might work as well. However, you couldn't take offensive action, so ultimately, you'd throw your life away."

"Right," Gon said almost fearfully.

"My assignment to you three is to practice _Ren_ until you can see through Hisoka's _In_."

"Uh, Master?" Zushi said. "What should I do?"

Wing smiled, "Zushi, you should already be strong enough to see past his In."

"I should?" Zushi asked.

"Show them your _Ren_," Wing suggested.

Zushi seemed skeptical, but gave in, "O-Osu!"

Wing looked at me, "Put your _Ten_ up."

I stood up and focused on my _Ten_. When I opened my eyes, they were all staring at me.

"Am I doing it wrong?" I asked as I looked at my aura. It looked right.

"You're no longer giving off a hostile aura," Wing said. "That shouldn't be possible."

I blinked, "Does it need to be hostile?"

Wing shook his head, "No, that won't be necessary."

He looked at Zushi and nodded.

Zushi got in a strange position, squatting with his fist on the ground. His aura suddenly shot out. "_Ren_!"

It was strong, but it felt thick. Like wet concrete.

"Then direct that aura into your eyes," Wing commanded.

"Osu!"

It was insane how fast he caught his _Ren_. I could see his aura building up in his eyes. He looked up when he had a steady build of _Ren_ in his eyes. He got in a fighting position, "_Gyo_!"

"So, can you see the aura that emanates from Hisoka's body?" Wing asked.

He was concentrating hard on the screen. "Yes," he finally said.

"And how many threads are there?" Wing asked.

"Twelve," Zushi said uncertainly. "No, I think it's thirteen."

"Not quite," Wing said. "But you were close."

Zushi suddenly gave out and held himself up while trying to catch his breath, "I could really see them!"

"You're making excellent progress, Zushi," Wing praised.

"O-Osu. Thank you very much."

"By channeling all your power through _Gyo_, you achieved a level where you could see through Hisoka's _In_," Wing said. He turned off the TV. "But with enough training, you'll be able to use _Gyo_ while fighting. Do you understand? First, practice _Ren_, and master the _Ren_ application known as _Gyo_. Then you'll discover the true nature of Hisoka's ability. And will you be able to use that same ability? My answer is both yes and no."

The three of us shared a look.

"Regardless of what Hisoka's precise power is, so long as it uses _Nen_, you can learn it. However, _Nen_ powers depend on the particular individual. Each of us possesses different specialties and preferences. Thus, _Nen_ differs for each person. If you're serious about mastering _Nen_, you shouldn't merely copy others' abilities. It's important that you first identify your own strengths. You've only just begun to develop. You haven't settled on one form yet. Initially, try to grow as much as you can. That is the purpose of this training. Train hard, play hard, and enjoy life."

"Osu!" Gon, Killua, and Zushi yelled.

I raised an eyebrow at the move but turned my attention back to Wing.

Wing walked to a calendar, "The final day of Killua-kun and Costa-chan's window to fight is June 9 and Gon-kun's is the 10, correct? I'd like all of you to register for your last day. In the meantime, you'll train. You must learn Gyo before it's time for your battle."

"Osu!" Zushi, Gon, and Killua exclaimed.

The four of us left and started our way back to Heavens Arena.

"Your _Ren_ was impressive, Zushi," Gon complimented. "You moved way ahead while I was resting."

"No, I still have a long path before me," Zushi said modestly.

"Hey, let's practice what we just learned," Gon suggested.

"Yeah," Killua agreed. "Then let's go to your room, Gon."

"Ok," Gon agreed.

I stared at the tall building ahead of us.

_Ren_. That's what they wanted to practice. I decided I wasn't going to train with them. I might not have a hostile _Ten_, but I could have a hostile _Ren_. And _Ren_ was more dangerous than _Ten_. While _Ten_ was a defense, _Ren_ was offense. If I could intimidate people with _Ten_, I was afraid I would kill with _Ren_.

When we got to the 200 floor, my attention was on what was waiting on the other side of the door.

"Killua…Zushi…Costa," Gon muttered.

"Osu," Zushi said quietly.

"We have company," Killua said.

The elevator door opened and we walked out. Gido and his freaks were at the end of the hall.

"You guys don't know when to quit," Killua commented annoyed with them. "That's why no one likes you."

"Oh, don't be so harsh," the ghost said. "Tell me when you're going to fight, because I'd love to be your opponent."

Killua sighed, "I guess they specialize in hunting newbies. They want to rack up wins by beating us up."

"We're getting desperate because our deadline is nearing," the ghost said. "C'mon, let's fight. I'll even demonstrate my power right now."

Aura came from his sleeve where he lacked an arm.

"I'm fighting on June 10," Gon said.

"Hey, Gon!" Killua exclaimed annoyed with my brother's ignorance.

"That won't work," the ghost said. "My deadline is May 29. Fight that day."

I stepped in front of them, "Very well."

"Costa," Killua growled. "Nobody cares about his deadline."

"Don't worry, Killua. I'll still make our deadline," I said darkly.

"Ooh, how scary," the ghost said. "Why don't you show me what you can do?"

I chuckled darkly, "Guess you'll just have to see on the 29."

I signed up for the fight and the ghost did as well.

Killua looked at me as I started to head to my room.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To my room," I replied blankly as I turned to him. "Why?"

"You aren't practicing _Ren_ with us?" Gon asked.

"If my _Ten_ can scare people and that's the defense of _Nen_, my _Ren_ can probably kill. I'm not risking it," I said simply.

"I'll catch up with you guys," Killua said. "I'll see how dangerous her _Ren_ is before she decides to stay away."

I rolled my eyes and unlocked my door. Killua followed me in and closed the door. He stood next to me and closed his eyes. I copied him.

"Visualize the energy building in your body," he said. "Power gathers in each cell, and grows. Then you force that power out!"

I forced the energy out. Pain erupted through me and I fell to my knees. I gasped for air as I stared at the floor.

"This is going to suck," I said.

I looked up and found Killua against the wall. Like he had been thrown there.

I stood up and walked over to him, "You alright?"

He nodded as he smiled, "I didn't put up my _Ren_, so maybe it'll work. Let's try again."

"I think you just want to watch me suffer for accepting that fight," I said as I got back where I had been standing.

I inhaled deeply and let it go. I closed my eyes, focusing on the energy again. "Don't back out this time," I told Killua.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. I could hear his smirk.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready."

"1…2…3!"

I forced my energy out and fought the pain. I didn't realize how much pain had built up over the two months. What didn't make sense if that it didn't affect my _Ten_ at all.

Looks like I was going back to Wing for some answers.


	16. Zushi

_Ren_ was exhausting, but Killua stayed with me.

I was on the ground panting as I looked at him, "You never said if it felt hostile."

"Yeah," Killua said. "But it's dying out."

"That's weird," I said as I stood up.

"Ready to try again?" He asked excitedly.

I groaned, "Fine."

I got up and sighed. "Ready?"

He nodded.

We activated our _Ren_ and I tried to block out the pain, but it was getting easier to use _Ren_.

"I think I'm getting used to this," I sighed as it dropped.

Killua smiled at me, "Learning when to shroud the boosted aura with _Ten_ was a little tricky. Want to join Zushi and Gon?"

I sighed and followed him out of my room to Gon's. I opened the door and smiled at the two.

"Hi!" Gon greeted happily. "How's your _Ren_, Costa?"

"As expected," I said with a shrug. "Painful."

"Are you safe to be around?" Zushi asked.

I hid my annoyance behind a forced smile and nodded, "Killua said so."

Gon blinked as he looked at Killua, "Is she dangerous?"

I glared at Gon.

"She's fine," Killua assured. "She keeps falling down so I guess she needs to practice 'Ten' more and try to get that _Nen_ String out."

"Wing-san said it couldn't come out until she masters Nen," Gon said.

"But 'Ten' has helped the pain," Killua argued.

"C'mon guys," I said stopping their argument. "Let's give it a go. Killua, get between me and Zushi so he doesn't freak out."

Killua grinned at Zushi who was blushing darkly. All four of us unleashed our _Ren_. Gon was pushed back a bit from my _Ren_. I did my best not to show the pain I was in, but I ended up giving in. Again.

"Damn," I panted.

"That was longer than usual," Killua said.

"We've almost got it," Gon said excitedly. "But we still need more training. It's not as strong as Zushi's."

"Guess we should train more," Killua said.

"N-No, that's enough," Zushi said.

All three of us gave him a curious look.

"Learning to rest is part of training," he explained. "Let's call it a day."

"Really?"Killua asked. "I can still-"

Zushi put up his hand to stop us, "No!"

"Oh," Killua groaned.

"Well, it's ok," Gon said with a smile. "We can try to help Costa push past the pain. Then we'll practice more tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Killua agreed.

I walked out with Killua and Zushi.

"See you tomorrow," Zushi said.

"Bye!" Gon said.

I was about to follow Zushi to my room, but Killua grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. He gave me a look that said 'don't ask'. As he folded his hands behind his head, we continued walking together, completely silent.

He stopped walking after glancing back at Zushi. "Ok, then," he said. "We're going to follow Zushi."

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"Call it a hunch," he said.

We went to the elevator after Zushi's presence had faded.

"Where'd this 'hunch' come from?" I asked as the elevator started to descend.

"The three that keep asking us to fight," he said seriously. "Zushi isn't as strong as we are. I think they're planning on using him against us. We've got to master _Ren_ and _Gyo_ so we can fight them."

I shoved my hands in my pocket, annoyed with the thought. "Better to be feared than loved." I sighed as my black bangs fell in my face, "What bull. If people are afraid they're going to do what they can to feel safe again."

Killua met my gaze, "Unless they cause fear over everyone."

We had the same wicked smile on our lips. His disappeared as he groaned, "Dammit, we can't do anything. We're trying to break those habits."

"_You_ are trying to break the habit. I didn't have the same training as you did."

The elevator opened and we walked out, starting our way to Wing's place.

"What exactly are you trained for?" Killua asked curiously. "It doesn't make sense to have someone just become a mass murderer for the hell of it."

"Beats me," I said. "Wing said we were farther inland. That doesn't mean much, but we really aren't supposed to leave the island until we're 17. I guess if I had stayed I'd know after a while. Maybe I'll go back when I'm 17 and find out."

Killua gave me a curious look, "Does it matter that much?"

"No," I said. "I'm hoping to not be a mass murderer by then." I glanced at him before looking at the ground, "Everyone that's left always came back. They said the outside world would never accept us. We're too dangerous."

"You're doing pretty good," he said as he folded his arms behind his head. "You haven't killed me or Gon yet."

"You haven't attacked me," I said. "I think there's a trigger somewhere. But that's the least of our worries. Something else has to take place of the _Nen_ String."

"Oh right. Wing can't help you master it."

I sighed as I shook my head, "Well, he said someone could. I think I'm going to look for them after we master _Nen_."

His arms dropped, "You're leaving?"

"I have to," I told him. "Who knows how much danger you and Gon could be in without me being able to control my _Nen_."

"Then don't get the string removed," Killua concluded.

"And suffer? No thanks."

"You can't just leave us," he argued. "I-We need you around. You're the only one with a brain!"

I laughed some as we came to a stop. "You'll be fine without me. And it won't be forever."

"What if we find a _Nen_ master along the way? What are you going to do then?"

I paused as I looked at him, "Well…I would like to think you'd call me."

He poked me in the chest, "You promised Kurapika you'd be at Yorknew City! AND you wanted to meet Mito-san! You can't ignore your family and I know you won't break that promise to Kurapika."

I opened my mouth then swallowed the nasty comment before it slipped out. "I have the rest of my life to meet Mito-san, Killua. I don't have the rest of my life to control _Nen_. Not without the possibility of killing the both of you. And I'll be at Yorknew City. I'll find you then, alright? And if I've got enough control, I'll stay with you."

We walked to the alley and looked at only two of the members of the group that was trying to rack up wins against us.

"Forget it," Killua said.

The members stared at us, shock on their face.

"I figured you were up to something. But you don't need dirty tricks to make us fight you. When do you want to fight?"

Killua and I walked down the alley. The ghost looked uncomfortable with us being so close.

"Don't worry," Killua said. "I'll let you win. I'll even give each a win. Is that good enough?"

"After I get my win off you, I'm going to fight Gon-chan," the ghost said.

My skin started burning as I walked up standing next to Killua.

"You have to beat me to get to Gon," I said dangerously.

Killua glanced at me then smirked at the group, "If you want to fight Gon, you'll have to follow his schedule. He'll be more than happy to fight you." He had a serious look on his face, "I can promise you that."

The ghost chuckled, "Ok. If you two are willing to fight, we don't need to bother with this," he gestured to the unconscious Zushi on the crippled man's lap.

"Let's go register together," the man on the tractor wheelchair said. "Once that's done, I'll return the boy unharmed."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," Killua agreed. "But only this once."

All of us went to the 200 floor and Killua registered with the ghost for May 29, while I registered with the wheelchair man for May 5.

"May 29," Killua said as he filled out the form. "Ok, happy now?"

"Yes," the wheelchair man said. "We'll return him."

I got Zushi on my back and looked back at the two that stood there.

"Just to reiterate, it's a one-time deal," Killua told them. "If you break your promise…"

I smirked as I started to walk away.

"Eh…whatever," Killua said with a nonchalant shrug and started walking with me. "Forget it."

"What? You got me curious," the wheelchair man said.

"What will happen if we break our promise," the ghost questioned in a mocking way.

"No point in telling you now," Killua said. "Just keep your word."

As Killua and I stood in the elevator, I sighed, "I really hate this."

"Do you want me to carry him?" Killua asked smiling slyly. "Or do you appreciate having him so close?"

I rolled my eyes, "The man in the wheelchair might as well have kissed his life away. I'm three points passed pissed. And you know they weren't planning to keep their word."

He gave me a curious look.

"Where was the guy Gon fought the first time?" I asked him, pointing out what he must have missed.

Killua sighed, "Damn, I knew something was missing."

"They've already got Gon to sign up for a fight," I said as the elevator opened and we started toward Wing's place.

"Not killing people is pretty hard," Killua groaned. "Clean living is tough."

"That's why I don't make those promises," I said.

When we got to Wing's, Killua knocked and Wing opened the door. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the two of us, but a smile formed on his lips, "Thank you for bringing Zushi back. Why don't you place him on the couch?"

I walked to the couch and carefully maneuvered him from my back to the couch.

"Costa, you seem to be in more control than I expected you to be," Wing pointed out. "I can tell you've been practicing _Ren. _You still look strong enough to fight. Your string will be able to be removed sooner than I thought. You might not need a strong bondage to keep your _Nen _in control."

I smiled, "That's great."

Killua seemed just as happy, "So you don't have to leave."

"Leave?" Wing asked.

"I was going to find a _Nen_ master to help me get control of my _Nen_, but if I can do it on my own, I won't need to."

Wing smiled some, "It all depends on your _Hatsu._ Why don't you two go rest up? I'm certain you're both tired from practicing _Ren_."

I nodded as I yawned, "Yeah. Guess you're right."

"Costa, I noticed you put a gift in Killua's bag," Wing said suddenly. "May I ask why?"

"Oh, Gon's birthday is in a couple of days. Just a little something for him."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's not a big deal," I said quickly. "I mean…I always fought on my birthday, so I registered for one on May 5."

"I see," he said with an uncertain look. "Very well. Be careful in your match."

I saluted, "Of course Master!"

With that Killua and I left.

"Your match is in two days," Killua said. "Are you going to be able to fight?"

"I'm always able to fight," I said. "And in two days, I'll be ready for the kill."

"Costa, don't kill him."

I narrowed my eyes at him as he looked back at me. I gave into those blue eyes and sighed, "Fine. I won't kill him."


	17. Fight or Flee

On Gon's birthday, I left the present on his bed before heading to my fight. The wheelchair guy, Riehlvelt was across from me, waiting for the fight to begin. I had gotten used to _Ren_ in the two days that all of us practiced, but I hadn't mastered _Gyo_. That felt like knives were gouging out my eyes.

"Begin!" The ref announced.

"Remember our deal, girl," Riehlvelt said.

I raised an eyebrow, "What deal? You made a deal with Killua. Not me." I chuckled as I pulled my knives out. "You don't make deals with the devil. Just like you don't speak of him." I pointed my knife at him, "Because he will come."

I watched as he formed a blue orb of energy between his hands. I narrowed my eyes as I watched him.

Don't kill him. Don't kill him. Don't kill him.

I shouldn't have agreed to that.

He fired the orb at me and my _Ten_ activated. The pain erupted through me as I crossed my arms over me. Growling, I broke the orb with my knife. He continued to shoot orbs of aura at me and I blocked them or dodged them. He didn't notice I was slowly getting closer to him.

He fired two orbs at the same time, limiting my escape. So there was a brain under that helmet. I jumped up and blocked a third orb. Unfortunately without the ground to catch me, I flew out of the ring, slamming into the wall. I pushed myself to my feet realizing how outmatched I was.

I was not going to lose to this bastard. Zushi was an acquaintance, but he was Gon's friend, and that is what mattered.

I spat blood to the ground and jumped back onto the arena.

"Give up girl," he said with a laugh. "You have no chance against me!"

I had no chance against something I didn't know about.

But the fight was still his to lose. All I had to do was figure out what he was doing.

It was obviously _Nen_ but what kind…

It must have been _Hatsu_. But it was different than Hisoka. His didn't stick. It was just orbs of energy."

My _Ten_ became harder as he made another orb.

But just before he fired, the orb disappeared.

_In_.

Quickly forcing my _Ren_ into my eyes, I found a blast of multiple smaller shots coming at me. Jumping out of the way of the attack, I noticed some fear on his face. Unfortunately, the sharp feeling of _Gyo_ caused tears to form.

But I knew one thing. My naturally intimidating aura was something I knew how to control around Killua and Gon. Around others, I couldn't control it.

But to win, I was going to have to see through the tears.

I held my knives tightly as I watched him. There had to be a way to win.

It was my turn to attack. I launched at him, my knives ready to cause pain, but not death. When I landed, he was on the other side of the arena. His aura was flowing through his wheelchair too.

Wing was right.

This was too early.

I launched at him again, limiting his room to escape as I jumped to all the places he tried to escape. This made the match much simpler.

As he escaped me again, I threw a knife at his wheelchair. Slicing the tire open, his wheelchair skidded to a stop, but I had let _Gyo_ down. The sudden burst of blood thirst made me put up my _Ten _to make the feeling stop. I put my arms up, taking all the hits from the multiple orbs that hit me.

With a quick throw of my other knife, I managed to hit something vital to the wheelchair because his aura started increasing and it scared him. The wheelchair suddenly blew up and it threw him out of the ring. I listened to the ten count. There was no way he was getting up in the ring. But the feeling of _Nen _hitting my _Ten_ made me second guess that.

The ref had put him back in the arena. Due to his lack of mobility, he got that handicap in the match.

It was either win by points or win by a KO.

Picking up my knives from the ground, I walked to him. "That was a foolish move. You should have accepted your defeat."

Whips were wrapped around me.

"I'd like to see you get your way out of this," he said with a laugh.

His thumbs rested on two switches. "These whips can emit 1,000,000 volts of electricity. I hope you enjoyed your life."

I narrowed my eyes as I shifted my foot some. Just before he could switch them on, I kicked my knife up, knocking one handle out of his hand. The knife in my hand shot up, cutting the whips off me as close to me as it could. The badly aimed throw made a deep slice on my cheek, but I was free from his capture.

"I hope you have a better idea," I said as he sat stunned.

I walked up to him, my knife in my hand. "I hope you've said your prayers," I said darkly. "You aren't walking off this arena alive. I'll take you to hell myself."

He fainted.

That was a pathetic way to lose.

After the ten-count, I walked off the arena. When I got to the main way, I went to the bathroom and frowned at my bloody face. With a wet paper towel, I washed the dried blood away and put a damp paper towel on my cut.

After I walked out, I found Gon and Killua walking toward me.

"Congratulations, Costa," Wing said. "That was an impressive win."

I smiled at him, "Wouldn't have won without your help, Wing-san."

He chuckled, "How about I take you out for lunch? As a birthday present for you and Gon."

"You don't have to," I said. "Unless you want to do it for Gon."

"I thought it was tradition to kill your opponent," Wing stated.

"It is," I confirmed. "I promised Killua I wouldn't kill him. Doesn't feel like a birthday without blood. I guess my blood will have to do this time."

He smiled some, "I suppose that is a step in the right direction."

"That was amazing!" Gon exclaimed as he landed beside me. "You're amazing, Costa! I wish I could fight like that!"

"If you had a brain, you would be able to," I told him.

"Your mastery of _Gyo_ is incredible," Wing said.

"I don't know what you mean by 'mastery,'" I grunted. "It felt like a knife was twisting into my eyes."

"How about I buy lunch?" Wing suggested to the two boys. "As a birthday present and your win."

Gon blinked, "Who's birthday?"

"Yours and Costa's, stupid," Killua said.

His jaw dropped, "It's today?! I didn't know! Why did you fight?"

"Had to," I said as I put my hands in my pockets. "Birthday tradition. Unfortunately, I promised Killua I wouldn't kill him, so it doesn't feel like much of a birthday."

"I set up something for the three of you, but mainly Costa," Wing said as we walked. "After causing you so much pain, I realized you needed to relax. I set up a day at the spa for you. My teacher always encouraged rest. This should help you."

"Spa?" I asked. "What's that?"

"It's a place built for relaxation. People tend to you and help you relax," Wing explained.

"Costa-chan!" Zushi yelled as he caught up to us. "Congratulations on your win."

I smiled, "Thank you, Zushi-kun."

The small boy blushed as he joined us for lunch. As we ate, Wing had gotten a pamphlet for me to see this 'spa' thing he had been talking about. I raised an eyebrow as I looked at everything.

"They're naked," I said.

"Yes," Wing said. "That is how it's supposed to be."

I looked from him to the pamphlet, "I'd rather relax with my clothes on."

"Just try it," Gon encouraged. "Maybe it will help your pain!"

I sighed, "Fine. I'll check it out."

Gon looked at Killua, "What do you think? Should we go too?"

My attention snapped to Gon, "You two have to go. You can't let me go in alone."

Killua laughed, "Why are you scared?"

"Having strangers touch my naked body isn't something I'm comfortable with," I said bluntly. "But if you're fine with it, by all means, you can join me."

Gon and Killua stared at me.

"Yeah, that would be uncomfortable," Killua agreed. "What about it Gon? Should we go?"

"Uh-huh!" Gon agreed with a grin. "It sounds like fun!"

I laughed some at Killua's disappointed look. "If you don't want to come, you don't have to."

"I go every month," Zushi said. "It helps with _Nen_ training."

"Well…if it helps," Killua agreed reluctantly.

"Good," Wing said with a smile, a slight blush on his face.

Guess our conversation was a bit awkward for him. Oops.

"I'm certain all of you will enjoy it," Wing assured.

"What about you, Zushi?" Gon asked. "Aren't you coming?"

"I went last week," he admitted. "I can't go. Sorry."

Wing chuckled some, "Too much relaxing is bad for _Nen_. I'm certain the three of you would enjoy it as a way to relax, but Costa will get a different treatment than the two of you. You may not recognize her."

I felt my heart sink as I stared at him, "Why?"

He gave a smile, "You won't be hurt."

Wing and Zushi assured us it would be alright. But what did they know? I was a girl! Not a guy. Zushi made it sound all fun in the sun, but I felt like I had just sold my soul to a form of torture that everyone else enjoyed.

When we got to the spa, I only felt more uncomfortable about how safe it looked. There was bamboo everywhere and a faint smell of freshness. I could hear a fountain with a light stream. The woman behind the desk gave us a smile, but she clearly saw something we didn't. She almost looked horrified.

"Welcome to Heavens Arena Spa. Are the three of you combatants?"

"Yeah," Gon replied. "We're Hunters and he's a combatant."

"Then the three of you can have today free. If you two will come with me-"

"We're getting separated?" I asked quickly.

"Well, yes." She replied. "We always separate men from women."

I felt fear take over me. Gon hugged me and smiled, "We won't leave you behind."

"Like you are," Killua muttered.

My arms fell from Gon's back as another woman led me away. I guess I had destroyed my friendship with Killua…


	18. New Look on Life

Killua burdened my mind. Did it really bother him that much? Different smells passed through the room and firm, strong hands moved over my back. I didn't say anything as I just stared at the wall.

Hours went by. The only thing I had given some attention to was the body wrap thing. I was covered in mud, which definitely felt strange, but I didn't say anything. I just wanted Killua to be alright again.

When I was washed off, I was laid back on a table and had hot stones placed on my back. My body felt fine, but my mind was the one that needed the therapy they were giving.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on my arms. I figured it was best to just give in. As the tears formed I heard the door slide, but I didn't pay any attention to it. The door was always sliding.

"Ah, Costa!" Gon exclaimed.

I opened my eyes and looked at my brother and…friend. Both of them were wet and had towels wrapped around their waists.

"Hey," I greeted then rested my head on my arms.

Killua was still upset with me.

"Whatcha been doing?" Gon asked.

"Don't know," I replied. "Just going where they tell me."

I knew Gon was frowning, "Are you alright?"

"I guess. Isn't that what this place is supposed to do?"

Gon looked upset, "You don't feel alright. My head's been pounding for a while."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "Guess I forgot."

Gon smiled, "Don't worry about it. As long as you're alright."

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine."

I didn't look at Killua as the two started walking away. The door closed and I thought I was alone until I found blue eyes in front of me. I closed my eyes and turned my head away, tears threatening to fall again.

"Costa…" He started. "I…I'm afraid…of losing you."

I looked at him, "Why do you think you're going to lose me?"

"When you leave…" Killua finished, his eyes on the ground. "I…Friends are a new concept to me. I enjoy being with you and Gon. We've had a lot of fun together. I…don't want to lose that…"

I felt a tear fall from my eyes. "Killua, you'll never lose me."

I reached out, grabbing his hand, "I'm going to train as hard as I can to get control. If I can't get control, I will have to leave and I will find you in Yorknew City. If this helps like Wing said, control shouldn't be too far away."

My thumb moved over his smooth hand. "I can't risk killing you or Gon," I said quietly. "If…If I go on a rage run and kill both of you…I'll never forgive myself." I looked up at him, tears forming in my eyes again, "A couple months apart to save your lives…to take the pain away…that isn't so bad, is it? You will never lose me, Killua."

He gripped my hand tightly, "Because I'm your friend or because I'm with Gon?"

"Because I love you," I told him as I rested myself on my arm and stared into those blue eyes. "And I will do whatever it takes to save you. Just like you would for me and Gon."

His face had gone pale for a moment then a blush started to form on his cheeks. "Love…" He said thoughtfully. He placed his hand on his bare chest over his heart. "Yeah…"

I smiled some as his grip loosened around my fingers, "I'll see you when all this is over. Gon can't be having too much fun alone."

"What about you?" Killua asked curiously.

I shrugged, "No one to have fun with. I'll be alright."

He walked to the door, casting a glance back at me as I lay down. Finally, I could actually relax. It felt like a hundred pounds had been lifted from my shoulders.

As I lay there, I realized what I had said.

_I love you_.

Though I had told my true reason behind the statement, it brought questions I had never dreamed of thinking before. Love…

In all honesty, I had no idea what that was. At least not the romantic kind. But after the whole 'girlfriend' thing, I was really beginning to wonder.

Heavens Arena had been a terrible influence on me. Zushi's crush…Killua's fake girlfriend…Telling him that I loved him, for other reasons… I needed to get away. But, it was too late for that. I had to master _Nen_ first.

But these…feelings…were too much for me to handle. Even though I wasn't sure what I was feeling, I knew I would go insane if I left Killua's side. I was going to have to train nonstop to stay with them.

I sighed as I buried my face into my arms. This. Sucked.

By the end of this 'marvelous' day, I was so ready to get out of there. They had painted my nails. Actually, they had put nails _on top_ of my nails. Who does that? And it took all the self control I had to not kill everyone that decided it was a good idea to _wax_ my legs. They explained shaving to me and where I should shave. Then they painted my toes. They put makeup on my face and styled my hair then changed me into a dress.

What the hell was this place?

When I walked out, I wasn't sure how I felt, but I was definitely a lot calmer than I had felt. I could feel my thread moving inside, and it seemed to be shrinking as 'Ten' moved through my body almost naturally.

I saw Gon and Killua standing by a slushy stand and I walked up to them.

"What flavor did you get?" I asked them.

The two jumped and just stared at me.

There was a dark blush on Killua's face while Gon just blinked.

I looked at what I was wearing. It was just a pale green dress and black flip flops that I had been wearing all day. My hair had been styled differently, but that was ok. I was glad it was growing out.

"I got orange," Gon said. "He got strawberry."

I took Killua's slushy and took a sip. Both of them were speechless. I handed Killua his drink back and got a strawberry one as well. That seemed to be the only smell I hadn't smelled all day.

"Hey, would you go in there and see if where Costa Freecss is?" Gon asked while pointing at the spa I had walked out of.

I just stared at him. He was completely serious.

"Gon, I don't look _that_ different, do I?"

Killua and Gon eyes widened and their jaws dropped.

"You look so pretty!" Gon exclaimed getting a lot of attention from people walking around.

Killua grabbed my hand, examining my nails, "What happened to you? You look like a girl."

"Did I look like a boy before?" I asked.

"You know what I mean," Killua said.

Gon grinned, "You should dress like that more often."

"Uhm…"

"Killua, Gon, Costa," Wing greeted as he walked up. "I hope you enjoyed your day."

"Told you I didn't look _that_ different!" I told the two.

"You look very pretty, Costa," Wing said. "I didn't recognize you either, but when your back was to me, I saw your string."

"Ha!" Killua exclaimed.

"Shouldn't she dress like this more often?" Gon asked him.

"If she wants," Wing said. "It takes the intimidation away, but also shows her strength."

I raised a freshly waxed eyebrow at my teacher. "What?"

"Look at the other women around," Wing said. "What do you see?"

I watched the other women walking by. Some were glancing at their reflections, some were playing with their hair, some were strutting in heels. All of them were self-conscious.

"They're self-conscious?" I answered skeptically.

Wing pointed at the window behind me, "What do you see, Gon, Killua?"

I turned and faced the window. All I saw was me. Although I was much more relaxed, I knew my past sins and what I was capable of. And that's what I saw. The underlying blood lust that could not be controlled and the willing to kill anyone and everyone that tried to hurt Gon and Killua.

That was new.

I didn't know I had taken on the responsibility of protecting the two. Well, I knew…I just didn't know I could see it.

"Confidence," Gon said with a smile. "She isn't self-conscious."

Killua nodded and I looked at Wing.

"As long as you are not self-conscious, you will not be like them," Wing told me. "You won't be living a lie when you're comfortable in your own skin. You're comfortable in that dress so you would be able to fight in it."

"I'm comfortable in almost anything right now," I told him.

"Would you be comfortable fighting in it?" Wing asked.

"Do you want me to wear it in my fight later this week?" I asked him.

His eyebrows furrowed together, "You have another fight this week?"

"Yeah, I forgot about it," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry, Wing-san."

He sighed, "After today's fight, I trust you can handle the next fight. Continue to practice _Ren _every day."

I nodded, "Of course, Wing-san. My next fight will be much better than today's."

I started back to Heavens Arena with a light smile on my face. A fight in a dress. That would be interesting.

When I got to my room, I kept to my word, even though it was late. I focused on my _Ten_ then pushed it out for _Ren_. It wasn't hurting as badly. Perhaps that spa thing had worked after all.

After a thorough shower and a long scrub on my face to get the makeup off, I was ready for bed. I paused in my stride when I saw Killua sitting on my bed.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"You," Killua said as he stood up. Concern filled his blue eyes as he walked to me. "Why were you practicing?"

"To stay," I said. "If I can get control, I don't have to leave."

"You don't _have_ to leave at all," Killua told me. "You're _choosing_ to leave."

"For _your_ safety," I told him. "But we've still got a lot to learn. Who knows? Maybe _Hatsu_ will be the ultimate form of control for me."

He gently grabbed my arms and ran his hands down until he had my hands. Confusion reached his face as he stared at my hands, "What are these?"

I pulled my hand free as I examined my nails, "They called them 'acrylic nails.' They used some sort of sandpaper drill on my fingernails and thinned them down to paper then glued this to them. I'm kinda scared to mess with them. I don't want my whole fingernail coming off."

They were painted a deep green color, my ring finger having a white and silver design on the nail. "But, overall, I think they did a nice job, as far as the painting goes."

"Yeah," Killua agreed looking at my other hand.

His serious eyes met mine. "Don't leave."

His was begging me to stay. I pulled him into a hug. "I'm doing the best I can to not have to do that, Killua. I promise that if I leave, I will return to you. Whatever the cost, I will return."

His arms around me made me wonder what was wrong. He felt weak…fragile.

"Killua, what's really bothering you?" I asked quietly. "I won't tell Gon. And I won't hold it against you."

"A conversation between hearts," he whispered. "You really know how to tell, don't you?"

"I suppose," I said. "I think it's just a girl thing."

He slowly let me go and walked to my bed. I followed him and sat next to him.

"I don't know what it is," he revealed as he looked at his hands. "I guess it's the change. Committing to clean living," he clarified.

I put my arm around him, pulling him to me so he could rest his head on my shoulder. As I ran my fingers through his soft snow hair, I mulled over his words.

"It's hard to break a habit," I said gently. "That's why I haven't committed to it. With time and with influence, I know it will break."

"What do you mean?" He asked monotonously. He was getting tired.

"With Gon and your influence, that darkness will fade. With time, I won't claim Fox Tail Cove anymore. I'll be comfortable with calling Whale Island home."

"Why aren't you comfortable with it now?" He asked with a yawn.

I continued running my fingers through his soft hair as I glanced down at him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was evening out.

"The same reason you aren't comfortable with Gon and me being your friends," I said just above a whisper. "Being raised in the darkness makes the light hard to handle. But we'll know the light soon enough. Gon will get us there. With time, we'll both be in the light as well. I promise."

I gently kissed the top of his head and carefully picked him up. He was a lot lighter than I thought. Maneuvering him to my back, I walked out of my room, down to his. After taking his turtleneck off I took off his shoes and placed him on his bed and skeptically looked at my sleeping friend. I wouldn't want to sleep in denim. I doubted he wanted to. Sighing, I unbuttoned his pants and with a quick tug, they were off.

Thank God for boxers.

I pulled the sheets over him and smiled lightly. A blush formed on my cheeks as I watched him sleep. I kneeled down, my lips hovering his.

I couldn't do that to him.

I placed a kiss on his forehead and turned the light off, giving him a second glance. My face was burning at the thought of what had almost happened.

Shame on you, Costa, I scolded myself.

I was a Hunter. Not some love sick girl. I was a fighter. I didn't need love.

As I walked down the hallway, I began to second guess myself.

Maybe I did need love. Even Dad fell in love. He abandoned us, but that wasn't what mattered. He had fallen in love with Fin. I was almost certain Fin was a native of Whale Island, or at least had lived there long enough to lose the traditions of Fox Tail or wherever she was originally from.

So, Fin wasn't always psychotic…

Or Dad really liked danger.

Glancing back to Killua's room, I realized why he would like danger.

I think was falling in love with an assassin…

And that was a secret I would carry to my grave.


	19. Nen Sickness

_As promised, I was standing in the arena wearing the light green dress. Biker shorts were under it, just in case. And I was barefoot._

_My entire body was shaking with excitement. And not from Gon. A barefoot fight was my strong point._

_The ghost standing across from me, Sadaso had his lipless smile on his face as usual._

_"Ready to lose?" He asked._

_"If I was going to lose, I wouldn't have come to the fight," I said. "You will lose. _I guarantee it."

"Begin!" The ref announced.

I started walking around the edge of the arena. He watched me, waiting for me to do something. I needed to figure out how far his aura arm could go.

I jumped at him then jumped back as his arm came out. His arm could reach the edge of the arena. I jumped out of his aura arm's reach and landed on the other side of the arena.

He continued to try and catch me. This game was annoying. Shock covered his face when I suddenly used my full speed and disappeared from his sight.

I pulled a knife from inside my dress as he turned to face me.

I felt something behind me, then my arm was gone from my control.

I could feel Gon's anxiety as I growled at the ghost.

He laughed, "If you try to escape, your arm will break."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Guess it'll have to break."

My captured arm dropped the knife allowing it to hit the ground.

Even though _Ren_ wasn't my strong point, I started to push it out as hard as I could, doing my best to ignore the pain. As my Ren grew, I began to focus it to my hand. Either way, my arm was probably going to break. Might as well break it myself and escape than have him break it.

I slammed my hand into the aura arm, piercing through it.

My _Nen_ and his _Nen_ caused a minor explosive reaction. While his aura arm was no longer wrapped around me, I had managed to miss most of my arm, but what I did hit threw me out of the ring into the wall and the explosion had burned my arm pretty badly as well as a part of my dress. That was the least of my worries. My _Nen_ was almost completely spent. I would have to switch between _Ten_ and _Zetsu_ to last the rest of the fight.

I jumped back onto the arena, my right arm burning from the lack of immediate care. I panted as I stood across from the worried ghost. It had sunk in that I was much like Hisoka. I would use my own body against myself to win. I wasn't sure if I should be proud of that or not.

I looked at my left hand. It was blistered from the _Ren_ concentration.

"Yeah, Wing-san," I muttered. "I wasn't ready. Sorry."

I picked up my knife, still trying to catch my breath.

Easily dropping it where it stabbed into the arena floor, I knew this was the only option. Placing my foot on the blade, I leaned back, getting ready to attack. With a few breaths to calm me down, I leaned back more, forcing the blade into my foot.

Excitement filled me as a grin formed on my face. The ghost took a step back.

I launched at him, slamming my blistered fist into his stomach and throwing him out of the ring into the wall. After the ten count started, I held myself up, my hands on my knees as I watched him. The only thing I could hope for was him to stay down or at least out of the ring.

"And Costa wins by another knock out!" Cocco announced.

I glanced around the audience to see Gon, Killua, Wing, and Zushi sitting together. All four of them were absolutely shocked.

I gave Wing a skeptical smile and he just shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I had failed him.

I lowered my head as I walked back to my knife and pulled it from the ground. When I got to the infirmary, they just shook their heads as they wrapped my arm, hand, and foot.

I laughed, "You'll know me by name soon."

"We already do, Ms. Freecss," the woman bandaging me said.

I grinned and walked out of the infirmary. My happiness was short lived when I saw Wing.

"Sorry, Wing-san," I said quietly.

He sighed as he put his hand on my head, "It's alright, Costa. No more fights until your last day, understood?"

I nodded.

"How is your arm?" He asked as he looked at my entirely bandaged arm.

"It's fine," I said. "I'm more worried about this dress," I blushed as I held it up.

Gon took off his jacket and handed it to me, smiling. I grinned and slipped it on, buttoning it up. I realized how much bigger he was than me. Not bigger, but longer. The sleeves covered my hand to the bottom of my fingers and the torso part of the jacket reached my upper thigh.

"Do you realize what you did today?" Wing asked with a smile.

"I…almost blew myself up?" I asked.

"You used an advanced method of _Nen_ called _Ko_. How did you figure it out?"

"I…figured if Ren could be concentrated to the eyes, it could be concentrated anywhere else…" I answered rubbing the back of my neck.

"I do not recommend using _Ko_," Wing continued as we walked. "I'm sure you noticed that you were no longer protected by _Ten_. If he had attacked with any _Nen_ attack, it would have destroyed your body. But your willingness to sacrifice part of your body caught him off guard."

"Wing-san, they don't seem to know much about _Nen_," I said. "I mean, the two I fought were strategic, but they didn't really seem to know what they were doing besides attacking."

"Few people that get the traditional greeting look into _Nen_. They are content with the power they got."

"Why did you do that?" Zushi asked, pointing at my arm. "It was obvious you knew something was going to happen."

"I didn't know I'd scorch my arm off. I just thought it would break either way. He said if I tried to escape, it would break. Might as well break his hold completely and break my arm on my own and know I was getting out."

I wasn't ready to fight any time soon. Not against a _Nen_ user.

"Costa?" Killua's voice sounded very distant.

Everything was dark.

Might as well sleep.

When I woke up, I was staring up at Wing. He smiled some, "Never push yourself after you know your _Nen_ can no longer be used. It could destroy you, Costa. I know you want to win, but you cannot push your body too hard after using something as complex as _Ko_."

I closed my eyes again, "Ok…Wing-san."

I was asleep again.

"Are you sure she's alright?" A distant voice asked. "She's still asleep."

"Gon-kun, you can't rush recovery," another voice replied. "She's not going to recover her energy as quickly as you would. The _Nen_ String is slowing down the process."

Pain erupted through my arm. "Arm…hurts…" I managed to mumble.

"I would expect it to," Someone else much closer than the other two voices said. "You tried to get it blown off two days ago."

I slowly opened my eyes. I was still exhausted. For a moment, I thought the sky had dark holes in it. As my eyes began to focus, I realized it was Killua. "Hey…Killua."

He gave a smile until he was pushed out of the way and Gon was hovering over me. "Are you alright? You've been asleep since the fight!"

"Don't yell," I grumbled as I slowly sat up.

Wing must have had experience in this area as he handed me a trash can. I puked from motion sickness and had a cool cloth placed on the back of my neck.

"Sorry…Wing-san," I said as I hugged the trash can.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Wing said with a smile as he rested his hand on the top of my head. "In fact, you've motivated them to train harder. All three of them have gotten much stronger since you were last conscious."

I realized I was still wearing Gon's jacket. My bandages probably needed to be changed. Slowly getting up and still hugging the trash can, I made my way to the bathroom.

Confident I wouldn't throw up, I put the trash can down and opened the medicine cabinet. Pulling out the necessities I would need for treating my burned arm, I removed the old dressing and started nursing my massive wound.

When I finished that arm, I moved to my hand then my foot. I wasn't excited about the bandage on my foot, but it probably needed to be there.

I went to the living room and fell onto the couch. My arm informed me that it had been a bad idea to fall so carelessly on a couch.

"How do you feel?" Gon asked as he sat next to me, handing me a cup of tea.

"Tired," I muttered. "I feel like I could sleep for a month."

Wing smiled, "You have plenty of time to rest, Costa. You should head back to your room and freshen up. I'm certain you'll feel much better."

I stood up and stretched then grabbed my side, "Ugh. _Nen_ is going to kill me."

Gon grinned, "Let's go! Are you coming, Killua?"

Killua had a dangerous glint in his eyes, "Yeah."

I slowly made my way back to Heavens Arena. When I walked into my room, the demon possessed TV turned on, announcing I had another fight coming up.

Gon and Killua stood next to me as they read the date. June 10. My original deadline. I had exactly 30 days until that day.

"I didn't sign up for another fight," I said as I watched the TV.

"Someone must really want to fight you to forge the offer," Killua said.

"Hopefully I won't feel like I just got hit by a car by then," I said as I walked toward the bathroom. "If I do, I'll rip them apart."


	20. Playing Dirty

My foot was already healed up, my blisters were fading, but my arm didn't look like it was getting any better. With a new bandage wrapped around it, I started my way to the elevator. As soon as the door opened, I was pinned against the opposite wall, staring into Killua's dark, bloodthirsty eyes.

I felt sick. I hadn't seen that look since our incident after the Final Phase. I waited for whatever he planned to do, but he seemed to be in control, just angry.

"I'm killing all of them," he said darkly.

I searched his eyes for some sort of hint, then realized it was obvious. They had messed with Gon.

"What did they do to him?" I asked, trying not to get angry myself.

"Gon is fighting on the 30."

I lowered my head, a distant memory of darkness starting to fill me. It reached my _Ten_ and Killua flew back, slamming into the wall. I walked to the elevator and slammed my hand into the button.

Killua was next to me. I could see the doubt in his eyes. He was starting to regret telling me. The moment the elevator opened, I grabbed Killua and shoved him into the elevator then pushed the 1 on the buttons.

"Where are we going?" He asked carefully.

"He's at Wing's," I spat. "We're going there to kill him first for not telling us, then we're going to find those three bastards and we're going to massacre them."

I felt a hesitant hand on my shoulder. "He didn't tell us for a reason," Killua said carefully. "We need to respect that. Besides, it's the ghost that Gon's fighting."

"We are outmatched up there," I said icily. "There is no way in hell Gon can beat him."

I calmed down some as I looked at my bandaged arm. "Look at me, Killua. I nearly lost an arm because of my fight with him. If I'm too stubborn to lose, Gon's gonna be worse." I looked at my blue eyed friend, "Don't do what I did. Don't figure things out."

"How bad is your arm?" He asked gently.

"I can't move it unless it's forced," I admitted. "I can't even move my fingers."

"It's not healing?"

"I'd imagine a _Nen_ attack would take longer to heal," I said. "My foot healed in a few days. I still have blisters."

He carefully grabbed my blistered hand and ran his thumb over my fingers. I couldn't feel it through the bandages, but the obnoxious acrylic nails had somehow survived the _Ren_ and _Hatsu_ explosion. The green nails poked out on both bandages because it hurt to cover them.

"You did look pretty," Killua said, lightly touching the nails. "You should do it again some time."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Saying I don't look pretty now?"

He blushed with a glare, "That's not what I meant!"

I laughed as I looked at my bandaged hand, "It's weird, you know. The three of us. Gon's an innocent. You're an assassin. I'm…a murderer."

"What's the difference between us?" Killua asked curiously.

"You know your limits," I said. "You know when the mission is impossible. I don't know anything about it. I just fight because it's an obligation."

He shook his head as we walked into Wing's house.

"What are you doing?" Killua asked when Gon suddenly had a guilty look on his face.

"Killua-kun, Costa-chan, I never properly thanked you for helping Zushi."

My eyes found Gon's and he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew I knew.

"Oh right," Killua said. "You feeling alright?" He asked Zushi.

I wasn't sure if I was. I was doing my best not to freak out. Directing my attention to the floor, I managed to find some serenity. As long as I kept my mind away, I would be alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zushi said. "I was probably just tired," he continued, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Sorry to worry the both of you," he replied with a bow.

My inevitable curiosity kept my eyes away from the floor. I directed my mind to the pain on my shoulder, hoping that would be enough to distract me from unleashing _Ren_ and knocking everyone out.

"Oh, Wing-san, can we watch that video again?" Killua asked. "I've learned how to use _Gyo_," he said giving a thumb up.

I was impressed. I hadn't even practiced _Gyo_ since I was forced to use it in the match against the wheelchair guy. I had barely practiced _Ren_. My arm wouldn't allow it.

Wing turned the tape on to where Hisoka was throwing the cloth up and the cards were raining down.

As Killua stood, his _Ren_ around him, he began focusing it into his eyes. "Fifteen threads, right?" Killua asked confidently. "Thirteen for the cards, one for the scarf, and a well hidden one that leads to the arm he tossed."

Killua was still struggling with _Gyo_. Not by much, but there was sweat on his face from the effort he had to put in.

"Continue," Killua said.

As the video played, Killua began describing what he saw, "Hisoka is…Hisoka's aura appears to expand and contract. Or does it attract certain objects, similar to a magnet? Why else would his arm reattach? Or fly into his opponent's chin? It's probably the former. His aura is elastic, like rubber. That would explain most of his tricks."

"Very good," Wing congratulated. "You pass."

"But I am surprised," Wing said. "I didn't expect both you and Gon to learn _Gyo_ so quickly."

"Gon?" Killua asked, looking at my brother.

Gon smiled, "Uh-huh, but I still couldn't figure out Hisoka's power."

"So, Killua-kun, since you've finished your first assignment, I assume you want to fight, yet?" Wing asked.

Killua stepped forward some giving Gon a hidden glare.

Gon put his hands up, "O-Oh, I wasn't trying to beat you to the punch. I just got an itch to fight."

"Yeah, I get it," Killua said with a smile, his eyes closed understanding the situation.

The white haired boy looked at Wing, "Actually, I've already chosen my day to fight. May 29."

"Mine's May 30," Gon said with a smile.

"As well as mine," I muttered quietly.

Wing gave a light laugh, "That's fine. I underestimated how fast you could learn. Spend the remaining days practicing _Ten_ and _Ren_. Be sure you get plenty of practice, rest, and sleep."

"Osu," Gon and Killua said.

Wing looked at me, "You, however, should not be fighting."

"It's not her fault," Gon spoke up. "Someone is forcing her to fight. They signed her up for a fight."

"Costa, I expect you to forfeit this match," Wing said.

"I wish I could, Wing-san," I said quietly. "I really do."

He sighed, "You and your pride. Very well. I expect you to have a strategy. If, at any point, you believe you are going to have to take drastic measures, give up."

"What's a 'drastic measure?'" I asked with a skeptical smile.

Killua hit me in the back of the head, "Idiot! What do you think a drastic measure is?!"

I rubbed my head with a pout, "Losing a limb."

"Stick to what you know," Wing told me. "_Ten_, _Zetsu_, _Ren, _and _Gyo_."

I took a deep breath and nodded as I looked at my arm. I was going to have to push past the pain. I had two weeks to prepare for this fight and my arm needed to be healed by then.

The three of us headed back to Heavens Arena.

"Killua," Gon said. "They must have threatened you too. Now I'm mad."

"Yeah, but my biggest concern was the master, and he agreed."

"But I'm worried they'll use Zushi again," Gon admitted.

"It'll be ok," Killua said quietly, sending a glance my way. "You don't need to worry."

I looked at my arm. I hadn't been able to move it since the fight. I haven't used _Ren_ since the fight. A constant low state of _Ten_ had kept my arm burning, but it was time to amp it up. We had two weeks. And I was not in the mood to forgive.

I ignored Gon and Killua for the two weeks. I knew I was passing my limits as I forced myself to use _Ren_ despite the pain. I kept a constant shroud of _Ten_ around my arm as I slept.

Then the day of Killua's fight came.

A knock brought me from my _Ren_ concentration. Walking to the door, I noticed I hadn't wrapped my arm so I quickly put on a jacket and shoved my hand in my pocket.

No one needed to know it was healed again.

I opened the door to Killua. "Care to take a walk?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Give me a minute."

He walked in and I went to the bathroom, quickly wrapping my arm up then following him down the hall.

"How is your arm?" He asked.

"It's fine."

"Burns like yours are not just suddenly 'fine' after two weeks," Killua told me.

"Where's Gon?"

"Still asleep. We practiced _Ren_ for a while and he was too tired to get up for breakfast."

Stepping into the elevator, I rocked on my heels as I watched the doors close.

"Killua," I said while grabbing his hand with my once blistered one. "I want you to be careful. Don't be stupid like me."

He pulled his hand from mine with a smile as he draped his arm over my shoulder, "I'll never be as stupid as you."

"I mean it, Killua," I said as I looked at him. "Don't be stupid. We really aren't ready for this."

"Don't worry about me," he said nonchalantly. "It's Gon we need to worry about."

The elevator opened on the first floor and we found Hisoka standing there. Killua glared and pulled me out while the magician stepped in.

I put my hand in the elevator door, stopping it from closing, "Hisoka, are you forcing me to fight?"

He chuckled, "That sounds like a marvelous plan, but no. I did not sign you up for a fight."

Killua tugged me along and we headed on into the city.

"Did you really think it was Hisoka?" Killua asked as I grabbed his hand so I wouldn't get lost in the early morning crowds.

"I just had to make sure. I figured he would wait until my arm was better, but better safe than sorry."

"Think it was one of the three?" He asked.

"I don't think the top man would be foolish enough to fight me. If he was, I'll have to spare him so Gon can fight him."

"Spare him?" Killua asked in disbelief. "You still think you're going to win?"

"I know I am," I said confidently. "I'm left handed. I don't need my right arm. Besides it's a priceless strategy."

He just shook his head as we walked into a café. We got placed in the back to avoid chaos breaking out.

Apparently, I had fans. And they would be very interested in what I was doing outside Heavens Arena.

As we ate breakfast, Killua's eyes suddenly widened as he watched me.

"What?" I asked him.

"You lied," he whispered sharply. "Your arm is f-"

I put my hand over his mouth as I smiled, "Told you it was a priceless strategy."

He narrowed his eyes as he smiled, "Playing dirty. I like that."

"That's why Gon doesn't need to know," I said quietly. "So, how are you going to fight the ghost?"

"By playing dirty. C'mon."

I followed him back to Heavens Arena where we found the ghost getting ready for the fight. Talking to himself must have been his way to prepare, "Today, I'll beat Killua-chan for my sixth win. Tomorrow, I'll be Gon-chan for my seventh win. Then I just need to find three more chumps. Maybe try to get revenge on Costa-chan by forcing her to fight like Natawi."

Killua looked at me and I shrugged. I had never heard of Natawi before.

The ghost laughed, "And I'll be a Floor Master. I'll get up all the wealth and glory to set me up for the rest of my life."

Killua was no longer at my side. I stepped in and saw this knife go through the ghost's head, slicing straight through.

That was a cool trick.

Killua held the dagger above the ghost's head.

"Move, and I will kill you," Killua said in an eerie, quiet voice. "Use _Nen_, and I will kill you. Make a sound, and I will kill you. If you understand, slowly close your eyes. Do you know what happens when you break your word? If you know, slowly open your eyes."

I smiled lightly. The ghost was sweating so badly it looked like his face was melting off.

"Look at me in the mirror, and listen carefully," Killua continued. "Never show your filthy face to us again. That's a promise."

I chuckled as I walked away, Killua right behind me. "Playing dirty," I said as I wrapped my left arm around his. "I like that."

"Are you going to buy a ticket?" Killua asked.

"No reason to," I said. "He won't show up."


	21. Strategy

_I leaned against the wall while Killua's 'fight' began._

_"You aren't watching Killua-kun's fight?" Wing asked._

_I looked up at him, "No reason to."_

_Gon groaned as he walked out, "Killua's opponent didn't show!"_

Wing gave me a look and I just pushed myself from the wall. "I didn't do anything," I told him. I forced my arm out of my pocket, "I can't."

"You aren't any better?" Wing asked.

"Not yet," I said. "It's healing though."

Killua walked out and glanced at me. I caught the look and looked away.

We still had more to do.

I pulled my left hand from my pocket, looking at the bandages that were not doing me any good. Except hiding a secret that Killua knew.

"Costa-chan, have you found out who you're fighting?" Wing asked.

"Uhm, yeah. Natawi was the name."

Wing's eyes saddened. "Costa-chan," he kneeled to my level, "Please, scratch your pride and forfeit this match."

"I can't, Wing-san," I told him. "You said have a good strategy, and I've got a good one." I grinned wickedly as I clenched my left hand, "A very good strategy."

"Please, come with me," Wing said.

All of us went to Wing's place and sat on the floor as he put another DVD in.

Hisoka was fighting a silver haired man that stood shirtless with low-rising jeans. Across his chest, down his arms, and down his torso to where his jeans were was a tattoo. It was the strangest tattoo I had ever seen. A full eagle. His arms were its wings and its feet rested under his jeans.

"This is Natawi," Wing said.

This man was quite a fighter. His _Nen_ would prove challenging. Watching him give Hisoka a hard time made me want to back out.

But I couldn't. That was the coward's way out.

"You don't need this fight," Wing told me. "He will kill you."

As I studied the man, I felt my heart begin to pound in my chest. Why, I wasn't exactly sure. But there was something there that I could see and not understand.

"I won't let him," I said simply. "I will not lose to him."

Killua grabbed me by my jacket, "Are you stupid?! Even at full strength you couldn't beat him!"

"Your confidence in me is amazing," I said as I stepped back. "Don't worry about me. We got Gon to think about," I said putting my bandaged hand on my brother's smile as I smiled. "He nearly killed both of us in his last fight."

Gon gave me a grin, "I won't this time. I promise."

Wing put his hand on my shoulder, "Costa, don't do anything dangerous. Keep to _Ten, Zetsu, Ren, _and _Gyo_. I'm proud of you learning _Ko_ all by yourself, but you cannot use it in this fight. He will kill you."

I saluted, "Yes, sir!"

The three of us left Wing's place. Gon ran off to get us some sort of strange stir-fry taco at one of the food stands, leaving me with Killua.

"Shouldn't you tell Gon?" Killua asked.

"No," I replied. "You two need to focus on these amateurs. Watching him fight has given me the upper hand."

"What do you mean?"

"He has a strategy, forcing his opponent to move in the way he wants. He has to be three steps ahead. He might have watched the last two fights, but I nearly lost my arm in the last one. Being completely reckless is not something he's prepared for."

"If he's ahead, he might already have your death planned," Killua said quietly. "Then I'll have to kill him."

"Like that isn't something you haven't done before," I said with a smile. "Let's enjoy my last night in the living. Who knows, it might not be."

Killua's blue eyes studied me, "You have a plan, don't you."

I shrugged, "We'll see."

He took my hand making me look at him.

I hated those eyes. He probably didn't know his eyes could break my heart with the sadness and concern that was there. Who knew the sky could be sad?

"Don't play with me, Costa," he said quietly. "I need to know that you will be safe."

"You know I can't promise safety," I told him. "But I can guarantee I will walk out of there alive."

"How?" Killua asked. "You saw his fight with Hisoka. There's no way…"

I looked at my blistered hand, "Because he wants to fight someone from Fox Tail." Clenching my fist, I could feel the sadistic beat from my heart make its way to my face causing an evil smile, "And he will get his wish granted."

My hand relaxed as did the rest of my body while I stared at the bandages, "It's time to fall back into the shadows. It's coming back that I'm worried about."

Gon gave me a stir-fry taco and handed another to Killua. "Is everything ok?" He asked.

I smiled, "Just talking about your fight. Killua said you'll win easy. I told him if I had problems you were going to."

Gon smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I'll probably have trouble."

"You planning on fighting that top guy again?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said seriously. "They went after Zushi, Costa. I can't forgive them."

I ruffled his wiry hair, "Whatever you want to do, darling brother of mine. I'll support you and clean up your mess."

He grinned and we headed back to Heavens Arena, enjoying the strange stir-fry taco. While we sat in Gon's room, watching some fights that were going on, Killua suddenly stood up, giving me that glance again.

"I need to get something from my room," he said. "I'll be back."

"Have fun," I said, taking a sip from my soda. "I'll miss you."

He blushed with a glare and walked out.

"Costa?" Gon asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be alright?"

I inhaled sharply as I shifted on the bed, "Do you trust me, Gon?"

He nodded, confusion on his face. "Why?"

I smiled as I put my arm around his shoulder, "Just worry about yourself tomorrow." I kissed his temple, "I'll be good as new after tomorrow. Didn't I tell you I would rip them apart?"

"But-"

"Don't 'but' me, Gon," I said. "Just trust me."

His brown eyes studied me before he looked at his drink in his hands, "What are you going to do?"

I heaved a heavy sigh, "He…wants to fight me for a reason. Because I'm from Fox Tail. Why else would he force the fight? And if he wants to fight someone from Fox Tail, he's going to fight someone from Fox Tail." I sighed as I looked at my right hand, "Bandages and all."

"You're going to kill him?" Gon asked skeptically.

I loved his innocence. I was almost envious of it. But he needed Killua and me to slowly introduce the darkness. Or at least make it more obvious he shouldn't trust anyone.

Hell, he didn't need to trust us.

The door opened and both of us looked at Killua.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Gon asked.

"No," Killua said with a frown.

I picked up a soda and threw it at him. "Gon thinks I'm going to murder Natawi."

"You are, aren't you?" Killua asked with the crack and hiss of his can releasing the carbonated pressure.

"I never said I was," I said. "But, as a rule I have to. He wants to fight someone from Fox Tail, and we kill. Simple as that."

"Well, are you?" Killua asked as he sat next to me.

"Probably."

Gon looked at me, "How can you do that?"

He wasn't accusing me. It was a genuine question.

"When it gets hammered into your head that killing is the only way to live, you tend to act out on it. We kill the weak to make the world stronger. And if we get killed, then we were the weaker."

Killua looked at me, his eyes wide.

"What are you saying?" Killua asked. "You said you weren't going to die!"

"I'm not going to," I said. "I will never be the weaker."

… … … …

Just like Killua, Gon's fight against the ghost was a forfeit. That only made my match come faster.

Natawi chuckled as he watched me stand in front of him, a jacket, sweat pants, no shoes. "You seem to be a little unprotected."

"Says the mercenary not wearing a shirt," I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Nice try, freedom fighter," I said. "Your tattoo doesn't fool anyone."

"Begin!"

He ran at me, but stopped half way, his entire body suddenly trembling. I walked toward him, "Do you know what happens to Fox Tail members that feel _Nen_?"

He took a step back.

I pulled my knife out, "They lose control of their bodies and kill everything in their way to get rid of the _Nen_ user."

I looked at the ref, "So you might want to get out of the ring."

"Without _Nen_ you'll die from all my attacks," he said, his confidence growing again.

I could feel my _Nen_ String moving through my body, taking over again.

"I don't think so," I said with a grin.

He glared and powered up his _Nen_. I did the same, sending the pain out with the _Ten_ around me.

His _Nen_ enhanced fist slammed into me, throwing me back. I caught my footing and jumped at him, my knife ready to slash open any part of him I could. He barely dodged as my knife slammed into the ground. I easily pulled my other one as I pushed myself off the blade, leaving a deep cut in my foot.

As I tried to attack him, I was leaving a blood trail. He was focusing on that, getting used to my moves. He decided it was his time to take offense and went to punch me, but I easily caught his punch with my right arm and managed to put a deep cut in right forearm.

Whatever _Nen_ trick he had used didn't work to block my knife.

Jumping back, we faced each other.

He was glaring at me, "You're a monster."

I laughed as I licked my blade and spat his blood to the ground, "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever called me."

He was studying me.

It was my turn to attack. I jumped at him, maneuvering him around the arena until his foot sliced open against my blade. Flinching under the pain, I punched him out of the ring and pulled my blade from the ground.

He glared at me from the ground and jumped back into the ring, limping slightly.

"You shouldn't be this strong," he growled. "Your arm-"

"Is completely healed," I said with dark amusement. "Just like my left hand."

The amusement was gone with annoyed anger, "You coward. You really are a mercenary from Pilots. A disgraceful murderer that only attacks the strong when they're weak. You don't deserve to walk out of this ring alive."

He stepped back, glaring at me, "You're a pathetic piece of trash from Fox Tail Cove. I watched your fights and other Fox Tail Cove members that made it to the 200s. There's no way you're from Fox Tail Cove. You don't act like one at all! And you aren't 17."

"Pathetic piece of trash," I said as I looked at my knife. "Not from Fox Tail Cove, huh? I'd imagine next you'll be calling me a liar for keeping my strategy hidden from you." I pointed my blade at him, "If you watched my battles, you would notice that I don't give a damn about my body as long as I win."

I took off my jacket dropping it to the ground. No bandages. My arm wasn't even scarred.

"And even if I have to die, I'll take you with me," I said darkly.

I jumped at him, my knife ready to stab him, but he jumped over me and something went across my back. I froze when I felt Natawi right behind me.

"Let's see how well you fight without your power."

It felt like all of my nerves were getting ripped out through my shoulder.

The world went black.


	22. Accepting Change

Blood.

_Costa…_

The rich irony smell filled my nose and traced my lungs. It smelled so sweet. Almost like a flower. I could see Fox Tail Cove while I stood on its highest peak. The thick forest that surrounded my village was like a sea of green as the wind blew. My pitch black hair blew into my face, forcing me to tuck it behind my ear. I could smell the salty air and hear the battles that raged below. The overwhelming sense of pride covered me. I ruled this island. I was the champion.

_Please stop…_

I was in control.

_Costa…_

As I continued to breathe in the scent, I felt an urge to join the battle, so I did. Using my knives to slaughter anyone and everyone that got in my way brought a rush of adrenaline in me. It had been so long since I had felt so alive.

_Calm down…_

The battle yells around me faded into terrified screams.

_Please wake up…_

A rush of ultimate power flowed through me, but it was quickly cut off when a light taste of metal teased me. My tense body relaxed.

_You're better than this…_

I was no longer in a battle. I wasn't on Fox Tail Cove.

_You gave up that life…_

My bare feet were in something wet and sticky. Someone had a firm grip on my arms. Something was on my lips. There was a rush of warmth through my body. It felt like my blood had been ice and a gentle flame was slowly melting it away.

_Don't give in…_

I opened my eyes. Killua's gentle eyes were slowly moving away. I could still feel him on my lips. His pale skin and snow white hair was stained with blood, but I didn't see any wounds on his face.

"Costa!"

Gon was crying as he held me tightly. I returned the hug just as tight.

Killua had a gentle smile on his face.

Seeing him…it broke my heart. I realized what I had done. His shirt was practically a rag from all the slashes in it. Few scratches, none bleeding much, were visible.

I had hurt him.

When Gon let me go, I embraced Killua, who unquestioningly returned it.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, tears slowly rolling down my face.

"Don't be," he replied quietly. "You're alright now. That's what matters."

"Costa, you need to come with me," Wing said.

The seriousness in his voice made me not want to. Until my body started shaking.

"Killua," Wing said.

There was a sharp pain in the back of my neck and everything went black.

… … … …

My neck still hurt when I woke up. I was on a bed that I had never seen before. Something jingled as I sat up. There were bandages wrapped around my arms going from my upper bicep to below my fingers. A band around the middle of my biceps and a band around my wrists, but the ones around my wrists had bells attached to them. Upon closer inspection, the bandages had some sort of inscription on them.* There was also a bell around my neck. The bell had the same inscription.

I pushed myself out of the bed and almost fell to the ground, my legs not wanting to hold me up. Forcing myself to walk, I found my way to a living room. Wing's living room.

Gon and Killua were nowhere to be seen. Wing was sitting on his couch, reading a book. Zushi was gone as well.

"Costa," Wing said in a quiet, but serious voice. "I know you're wondering where the others are. I told them not to come back until you went to them. I want you to watch your fight."

I sat on the floor in front of his TV and watched the fight. I didn't remember hardly any of it. I narrowed my eyes when I saw Natawi slash my back. I had frozen up.

But why?

Natawi grabbed something and gave it a hard tug. A long black string came out of my back.

My head dropped as a small puddle of blood formed around my feet. My eyes had lost any sign of life. The _Hatsu_ I must have been radiating made Natawi back away. I turned to him and a different fight started.

He was fighting for his life. Trying _Nen_ attacks of all kinds, but none seemed to work. I watched as his fist began to hold a large concentration of _Nen_.

"Natawi was a Manipulator. You will learn about it later."

He slammed his fist into me. The force was enough to kill someone. I slid a couple feet back and he raised his hand to try something. There was a _Nen_ aura around me. He said something.

The arena was shrouded in a dark aura. All of it was coming from me.

I held no mercy…

I slammed my fist into him…

And utterly obliterated him.

"He gave you a simple command," Wing said solemnly. "Kill Gon-kun and Killua-kun."

I looked at Wing, my eyes wide.

"It was a risky move," Wing said. "If you had followed through…I would not have been able to stop you. But, your heart was still there…for the most part. The String had not completely taken over. His _Nen_ was extraordinary. Stronger than Hisoka. Much stronger. But…you were stronger. It's frightening what that String kept you from doing. Removing it prematurely sent you into a mixed area of _Nen_ and your current life and the rules you were determined to live by during this fight. The command…was your limit. You have chosen your loyalty, whether you are aware or not. Your love for Gon-kun and Killua-kun was so strong you were able to break the _Nen_ he had put on you. I had seen one of his fights and he could win automatically against the strongest _Nen_ users in Heavens Arena. You broke that and killed him, Costa."

He smiled gently, "You are free of Fox Tail Cove." His smile faded, "But it came at a cost. As I told you, your _Nen_ would have to be restrained. With that fight you lost a lot of power, but your physical strength has not altered. You will, however, have to rebuild that strength. As Gon-kun and Killua-kun grow in _Nen_, you will be able to grow as well. You don't need to leave them. When you remove the bandages, the bell around your neck will take care of you, but only temporarily. If you leave the bandages off for too long, you will go into another killing frenzy."

I looked at my bandaged hand. Weaker _Nen_.

I would be the weaker, but I would not let it defeat me. I would get my strength back and be able to protect myself again.

…

I didn't care about strength.

That was a strange feeling. I was alright with being vulnerable. I would always have Gon and Killua to protect me.

I wasn't sure if I liked this thought, but I couldn't change the feeling. It made me feel…better. To be protected…

Wing had an understanding smile on his face, as if he knew what I was thinking about, "That's what most girls feel, Costa. Assured safety when they're with guys. That is what men are supposed to do. Protect the ones they love. Gon-kun and Killua-kun will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. They're waiting for you. Go find them."

"Wing-san, how long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of days," he said. "Gon-kun and Killua-kun's fights are coming up."

I nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Wing-san."

He simply smiled and I walked out.

When I got back to the 200s, one of the fighters was walking down the hall. He froze when he saw me and turned to walk the other way. I felt…bad. Sympathy…some regret. I wasn't certain what the feeling was, but I was hurt he had just walked away.

When had _I _ever cared about what strangers thought about me?

I had a lot of character changes that I hadn't realized I had until then.

I put my hand on Gon's doorknob. I didn't want to walk in. I didn't want to see them. But…

I opened the door.

Gon, Killua, and Zushi were practicing _Ren_.

Silently closing the door behind me, I watched with a light smile. They really were making progress.

Gon was the first to see me, "Costa!"

He ran to me, hugging me tight. I didn't hesitate as I returned the hug, smiling some. Hugs…they felt nice.

He pulled away and looked at my arms, "What happened? You weren't hurt when we left you."

"I'm not hurt," I replied. "It's restraining my _Nen_ and keeping me from going on another…"

I didn't finish as I looked away.

"Costa?" Gon asked. "Did something happen?"

"More than either of us realize," I said quietly. "I can tell everything is going to be very different now."

"Are you leaving?" Killua asked.

He had a good poker face while Gon looked concerned.

"Wing-san said you might have to leave," Gon explained. "What did he tell you?"

"I'm weaker than what I used to be," I said. "The _Nen_ String restrained a lot of power. I've been…set free. As long as I wear these bandages, I can stay with you."

Zushi looked more scared than ever. Turning my attention from the scared boy, I looked at Killua. "I'm sorry, Killua," I said quietly. "I really am."

"Costa, don't worry about it," Killua said. He sighed as he folded his arms behind his head, "Things really are going to change."

I looked down at my hands, picking at my fingers…only to find I had no fingernails. They must have been obliterated with Natawi.

I looked at Gon, "Were you worried?"

Gon gave me a strange look, "About what?"

Tears started to form in my eyes and I looked back to my hands. "A-About me killing you," my voice cracked.

"No way!" Gon exclaimed. "I knew you wouldn't kill us. There's no way you would kill us because he said so."

Manipulation…a form of _Nen_ we didn't yet understand. But, he had control over me. Or thought he did.

I had the option…

Kill Gon and Killua.

Live the life of a Fox Tail.

Either way, Natawi would have died. But, more would have died if I chose to kill Gon and Killua.

"I'm…bye," I said quietly as I opened the door and walked out.

I was so lost…so confused.

Walking into my room, I fell against the door and just stood there. How long was I just going to stand around and try to figure my life out? How long would it take to get used to not focusing on killing?

Sliding down the door, I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my chin on my knees. I had no idea what was going on. I was ready to pack up and leave. I didn't want to be around Gon and Killua. I didn't want to see them at all.

It was a bad idea to see them so soon. Pushing myself up, I walked to the bathroom. I wished Wing had given me a time limit. Taking the bandages off and placing them next to the shower, in case I spent too long in, I stripped down and turned the hot water on. When it got warm enough, I stepped in and let the hot water run down me while I rested my head on the wall.

This was so stupid.

I couldn't feel any real emotions other than guilt. I wasn't even the slightest bit happy to see Gon and Killua.

As the warm water dripped down my face, I realized what I needed. A day to myself. A day without Gon and Killua. Just so I could make my own decisions. That gave me some confidence. I knew that if I was left alone, I could decide things. I wouldn't be pressured to do anything. I would know what was best for me.

Closing my eyes some, I allowed a smile to form. Everything would be alright with time.

Looking back, no one would have expected this to happen. I knew I was on a border line from deciding right and wrong. That I had compulsions to kill. But it was gone. Nothing seemed necessary.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day…

… … … …

I left early, my bag on my shoulder. Looking back at my room, it felt…wrong. Something was compelling me to leave. I was risking Gon and Killua's lives if I stayed. To keep them safe, I had to leave.

So…I was.

When I opened the door, I found Killua standing there.

"You are leaving," he said.

"I have to," I said quietly, tears rolling down my face as an overwhelming pain of emotions swelled in my chest. "It's too dangerous."

I felt a hand on my face. I looked up at Killua, whose blue eyes seemed…sadder. They were darker than I was used to seeing. So much sadness. Like staring at a frozen river, still showing the blue of the water, and only feeling the cold and just feeling absolutely miserable.

I looked away, "Please don't look at me like that."

"Don't cry," he said quietly. "Will you come back?"

"I hope so," I said as I looked at him. "I really do."

His blue eyes went over my face and a light blush formed on his cheeks as he removed his hand from my face.

I hugged him, "Tell Gon I'm sorry and that I love him and I'll find him again."

He gently rubbed my back as I shook from trying to keep more tears from falling.

"I love you, Killua," I cracked quietly. "I'll find you again. I promise."

I placed a kiss on his cheek and walked away. Killua grabbed my wrist and hesitated.

"I know how you feel," he said quietly. "Unworthy…unsafe…You and Gon give me hope. That I won't be an assassin forever. That there is something good in this world."

"I don't know how I made that example," I said as I faced him.

"Please," he said quietly, his eyes on the ground. "Give it a week…just to get used to being…free." He looked at me, "We're…friends. We won't abandon you because you're changing."

"I don't _want_ to change. I just…I don't understand."

"Don't you want to change?" He asked. "You wouldn't have left Fox Tail before you were 17 unless you wanted to change. You wouldn't have looked for Gon."

That felt right…

I had left for Gon. I had left for a new life with my brother.

And that's where I was going to stay. No matter how dangerous it was, I was going to stay with Gon. Even if it got too dangerous, I was going to make it safe again.

"Want to get breakfast?" I asked Killua.

He smiled some. I felt like I was seeing a blue sky after years of rain.

"Let's get Gon," he said as he started down the hall.

I silently opened the door and peeked in. He was nowhere to be seen and I didn't hear the shower running.

"What are you doing?" Killua asked.

"Shh!" I hissed at him as I opened the door more.

I took a step in and started toward the bedroom.

I screamed when someone jumped onto my back. Gon and Killua's laughter filled the room. I glared at Killua as he grinned widely.

"You planned this," I said as I threw Gon to the ground.

Gon grinned from the ground, "We knew you would try to leave. I could tell."

I raised an eyebrow, "How?"

He frowned, "The wall is gone."

My eyes widened, "You're joking."

"Nope," he said with an awkward smile. "But that's ok! We'll always be fighting together!"

"I wonder if that means when you die, I die," I muttered. "Then what happened during my fight? You didn't go insane like I did."

"Yeah, but I could feel how empty you were. Then when he told you to kill us, you were beyond angry. So…the wall's gone."

"Oh right," Killua suddenly said. "Today is Gon's fight against Gido."

"I figured you would have done that by now," I told Gon.

"Nope," he said with a smile.

"Alright, let's get breakfast!" Gon announced.

I helped him off the ground and the three of us left for breakfast.

"Wing-san wants to see us before the fight," Gon told me.

"I got you a ticket just in case," Killua said, his hands in his pockets. "Funny how everyone was in love with you and now they're all terrified of you."

"Yeah," I said sarcastically. "Absolutely hysterical."

They smiled as we walked into the small café.

"We need to go somewhere else one day," I muttered as we sat down.

"We haven't been here that often," Killua said.

I glanced over my shoulder at all the people casting glances at us.

"They keep looking at us," I muttered.

"Well, when someone explodes on a ring, it's not exactly normal," Killua said. "Your fight was put in the newspaper. Reporters wanted to interview you, but Wing wouldn't let them. Mainly because you were unconscious."

I sighed as I stirred my strawberry-orange smoothie with my straw. "Well, they don't have to worry about it anymore. I'm done with this place."

"You aren't fighting anymore?" Gon asked, shocked.

"I don't want to," I said.

The two stared at me.

"Told you things were going to change," I said as I took a sip of my smoothie.

After breakfast, we went to Wing's place.

"Ok, Gon-kun is fighting Gido today," Wing said when we walked into the living room. "Killua-kun will be facing Riehlvelt. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes," Gon and Killua said enthusiastically.

"Gon-kun, this will be your second match with Gido. So you shouldn't require much advice." He pushed up his glasses, "Do you have a plan?"

"Uh-huh," Gon replied. "Uhm, Wing-san, actually," he held his hands up like he was holding his fishing pole, "I'm planning on using this."

I smiled at his plan, while Killua looked sort of shocked.

"I see," Wing said.

I grinned, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get our seats before we have to climb over people again."

Killua laughed, "Don't you want to scope out the competition?"

I grabbed Killua's hand and smiled at him, "Can we _please_ go see Gido? Maybe I'll get a kiss like Kastro~!"

Killua blushed as I laughed and let go of his hand. "You brought that on yourself."

"Kastro kissed you?" Gon asked angrily.

I pointed at Killua, "Killua kissed me."

"That's different!" Gon yelled.

I laughed some, "Don't freak out, Gon. We were seeing what Kastro was like and I had to act like his 'number one fan' to convince him we weren't just spying on him." I looked at Killua, "You still owe me for that."

"I kept you from killing everyone," Killua argued.

"Doesn't count. You're going to suffer the same humiliation."

"That was humiliating!" Killua exclaimed.

My chest ached, wanting that to be a lie, but I smiled, "Then you don't owe me. Let's go get our seats."

Killua couldn't meet my gaze as we headed back to Heavens Arena. Usually, when we walked, I was in the middle. This time, Gon was between Killua and me. No one brought it up.

"Costa, can I talk to you?" Gon asked before he headed to the arena.

I looked at Killua, but he didn't look at me. He was looking at Gon.

"I'll catch up with you," I told Killua.

He nodded and continued in.

"Is something wrong?" Gon asked. "You're hurt."

"Nothing I didn't bring on myself, Gon," I said. "Get your revenge on Gido. For all of us."

I kissed his cheek and skipped on to the stadium seats.

I looked around to try to find Killua, but couldn't find him. I pulled out my ticket and looked around for the section where my seat would be. On the other side of the arena. With a sigh, I started my way to the other side. When I found my seat, Killua wasn't there.

There was still thirty minutes until the fight started, so I didn't worry about it. I subconsciously played with the bell on my wrist. A restraint. I didn't feel restrained. If anything, I felt freer.

I would probably have to wear these bandages for the rest of my life. And that was ok. An old woman with bandages around her arms wouldn't be so strange, would it?

"I'm sorry."

I looked up at Killua as he handed me a drink.

"For what?"

"It…wasn't humiliating," he admitted quietly, a blush on his pale cheeks.

It took everything not to pull him into a kiss we would both be conscious for. Dismissing the thought, I smiled and took the drink.

He sat next to me, looking at the arena thoughtfully, "You think Gon's got a chance?"

"Both of you are a lot stronger than I was when I fought. Gon knows his tricks. He'll know what to do."

Gon and Gido entered the arena.

"Ok, today is the long-awaited grudge match! Gido vs. Gon! In their previous encounter, Gon ended up in the hospital, but what will happen this time? Today, he's carrying a fishing rod. How does he plan to use it? How does he intend to fight? Let's get this contest started!"

I went ahead and grabbed Killua's hand. It was going to happen anyway, might as well know when it happened.

"Points and KO system," the ref said. "No time limit! Begin!"

Gon got a fast take off. Gido began spinning around like a top. Gon skidded to a stop, his mind racing with ideas of how to approach the crippled man.

"What's wrong?" Gido asked. "If you won't make a move, I'll go first! Shotgun Blues!"

A shotgun blast of tops went toward Gon. Gon was slightly surprised he could fire tops while spinning.

"This technique is nothing like Battle Waltz," Gido said. "Every top will be aiming for you! You can't avoid them all!"

I leaned forward, waiting to see if Gon could find a way out.

"_Ren_!"

He took all of the tops directly.

"What?" Gido asked slightly scared.

Gon had gotten in his head.

"Gon's reflexes are good enough to let him use his rod to knock down any tops that are stupid enough to come straight at him," Killua said. "But he chose to use _Ren_ to deal more psychological damage." He smirked slightly as he looked at me, "He learned a lot from you. When the String was removed he changed as well. He won't admit it, but he's darker than he was. More dedicated to his cause. More dangerous when he fights for revenge. He must be pretty mad about how they used Zushi."

Gon jiggled his fishing pole, "It's my turn now!"

I wasn't surprised at his anger. I had felt it since he saw Gido. Though he was angry, he was confident and thinking clearly. He really had a strategy this time.

Good.

He took a hard step and launched the lure straight at Gido. Gido started spinning faster. The lure flew straight past the red cloaked top man landing on the ground behind him.

"What were you aiming at?" Gido laughed.

Gon flicked the pole maneuvering the lure to where it caught the edge of an arena block and pulled.

"What?!" Gido yelled.

Pulling the block out of the floor sent Gido flying. When the dust cleared from the crash of the top user and piece of arena, Gon was right in front of Gido. There was so much rage.

"Gon's going to kill him," Killua whispered as he leaned forward, worried about what Gon would do.

"He's certainly angry enough to," I replied. "But he won't. I can guarantee that."

Gon slammed his fist through Gido's prosthetic leg.

"If you're willing to do whatever it takes, I won't hold back," Gon said darkly. "And if you touch Zushi again, I'll smash your face in!"

Gido fainted.

"Our winner is Gon!" The ref announced.

Killua stood with a confident smile on his lips, "Ok, it's my turn now. Oh, right."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out another ticket, handing it to me. "The guy I bought it from thought it was weird I was buying a ticket to my own fight."

I stood up and stretched, popping my back. "A few rows over. Wonderful. I'm gonna go find Gon. Good luck, Killua."

I was about to walk away, but I turned back and kissed Killua on the cheek before heading down the stairs.

Maybe this new way of living wouldn't be so bad after all…

A/N: Another shout out to Yu Yu Hakusho. The restraint bandages used to hold back Costa's _Nen_ are the same as the restraint bandages Hiei used to hold back his Dragon.


End file.
